


Eclipse - Act 2 - Of Blood and Truth

by Cosmic_Fictions



Series: Eclipse [2]
Category: RWBY, Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Black Gallows, Epic, F/F, F/M, Horror, M/M, Mystery, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY), Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2019-11-15 20:44:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 203,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18080588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmic_Fictions/pseuds/Cosmic_Fictions
Summary: Everyone has their truths...but only one is THE truth. When a new enemy arises from the ashes of the Black Smog, blood stains the ground from countless souls as the Legendary Jack the Ripper returns. Ruby and Yang are both faced with a question that will challenge their bonds with Blake and Weiss, and the same for J.N.P.R, as they search for the truth behind Summer's death.





	1. Prologue

“Well... " Pyrrha sighs, rolling her shoulder as the chains binding her chafe across her back. "I'm not going to deny... " She looks upwards at the ground, and down past her feet to the chain disappearing up into the ceiling. "... this could've gone better."

Beneath are hundreds of starving Grimm, snarling and snapping up at her. From Beowulves to Creeps to Deathstalkers. A few have their sharp teeth just grazing the end of her inverted crimson ponytail. The blood rushes to her head and she groans, blinking out of sync and rolling the wrists bound at her back.

She flits her eyes around at the deep and dark cave network she found herself in. She tilts her chin up to look down, at the sea of writhing creeps underneath. So, she was underground, that much is for certain. Attached to the chains keeping her suspended is a wind-chime, jingling with every small swinging motion she caused. This sets the blind Creeps into overdrive, snapping and leaping to get a taste of what is causing the noise.

"You're a Beacon student, aren't you?" Came a gravelly voice, one that carries with it a great deal of knowledge. Pyrrha freezes her wriggling, snapping her eyes forward. Even though the world is upside down, she makes no mistake to who stands on the balcony before her.

"Well, if it isn't Mr Merlot." Pyrrha quips and she tilts her head curiously, that ever so bright smile on her face – despite the predicament.

"Ah! Doctor! Doctor Merlot." He corrects with a grin. Pyrrha huffs, blowing some of the dust from her brow.

"Right. My apologies." Pyrrha looks around, craning her neck. "Umm... this is all a bit theatrical, isn't it? You know, for one lone Huntress student."

"O-Oh no, I'm not underestimating you meddling kids this time!" Merlot chuckles, waggling his finger at her. It is easy to forget that – in between all the chaos that has hit their education – Teams R.W.B.Y and J.N.P.R had both stopped the mad Doctor once before, prior the first attack on Vale and before the Vytal Festival. The tall Doctor stares the young woman down as he stares at her. "Besides, I ask the questions."

"Okay. I'm sorry." Pyrrha says sweetly, wrapping her fingers around the chains at her back. Merlot raises a brow, but carries on, being the theatrical monologuing man he has always been. If there has ever been a man who shares an ego as extreme as Jacques Schnee, it would be Doctor Merlot.

"Why, is a Beacon soon-to-be Graduate sniffling around my make shift laboratory?"

"Oh yes, of course. We blew up your last one, didn't we? I'm sorry." Pyrrha smiles sheepishly, seeing to enjoy that memory a little too much, this however causes Merlot to growl with immense displeasure. "Yes, on behalf of Beacon, Ozpin, Team's RWBY and JNPR... we are sorry."

"Enough." Merlot huffs. "Why are you here?"

"Well... it's a long story really."

"You're not going anywhere." Merlot chuckles. "Oh! I do have an appointment in an hour though, so..." He taps his watch. Pyrrha huffs again, rolling her eyes as she begins her long tale of how she got here.

"As one of our final tests before graduation, we must offer the headmaster an item of interest and show we can single handedly take care of a Grimm hive. When I saw your robots at the cave entrance... Oooh it was too good to resist. Sorry." Pyrrha gives a sheepish laugh, if her hands were free, she would have gently covered her soft lips.

"So..." Merlot points beneath Pyrrha. She looks at the Grimm. "Hive." Pyrrha nods. Merlot points to his chest. "Item of interest?"

"Oh, don't think of yourself as an item, Doctor. But yes." Pyrrha says, passing some of her aura through the chains binding her, testing their magnetism. “You see, with Neopolitan captured and vanished, you are the second-best gift.” She tells him with a smile, now that Neo has massive bounties set on her head after her escape from Authorities prior the fall of the Black Smog.

"So, in a perfect world, you'll wipe out the hive, capture me, and graduate with flying colours?" Merlot tilts his head with a grin. Pyrrha shrugs.

"Yes, pretty much."

"Shame. We don't live in a perfect world! Ah hah!" Merlot cackles, springing his hand forward and pressing the remote in his grasp. Pyrrha rolls her eyes as the chain unlocks and starts to drop her down into the horde below. With a burst of black energy, the chains explode, and she quickly rolls over to grab the chains and swing up onto the cave wall, gripping the black stone.

The Grimm roar devilishly, addicted to the taste of blood that is so close to them, rolling over each other like a stormy black sea, trying to get to her. She looks up at Merlot on the balcony, seeing him walking across the platform.

"Why'd you think I set up my new lab here? Think of all the tests I can run on all those Grimm! End of the day, the Black Smog scattered, and many of them…found their way here. Isn’t it incredible how things turn out?" He gestures to the writhing black ground. "After they devour you of course. Oh, and so close to graduating too." Merlot pouts. Pyrrha raises a brow, lifting her fingers with a twitch, listening to the metal bangs echoing through the winding cave networks.

"You remember we broke your toys last time, don't you?" Pyrrha says, Merlot's smile dropping. Suddenly both Milo and Akoúo break through the stone in a plume of rubble, shooting through the air in a golden blur towards Pyrrha. She smirks and leaps off the cave wall, swirling elegantly through the air.

Her feet touch down on Akoúo for a brief second, before leaping off the whizzing shield. Akoúo embeds itself in the wall, and Pyrrha lands behind Merlot with a grin.

He cackles and lifts his cybernetic arm, the right appendage shifting and morphing mechanically under his sleeve until the fingers became recognisable as the barrel of a flame thrower. The sleeve melts and burns away as bright crimson flames shoot out at Pyrrha, she raises her gauntlets shielding herself from the super-heated flames, though the metal soon turning red hot.

She flicks her wrist and Akoúo snaps up out of the wall and clatters Merlot in the back of the head, making him stumble forward. She kicks him square in the chest and he hits the parapet wall with a crunch. She catches the spinning shield on her gauntlet, just as another salvo of fire engulfs her. Merlot, left hand on the parapet, slowly rises to his dazed feet, right arm still spouting flames.

As Akoúo starts to glow red along its rounded edges, she looks up at Milo embedded in the cave walls, just beneath a stalactite. She smirks and flicks her fingers, black light ripping Milo from the stone and shooting down into Merlot's knee, the blunt end dropping him easily to a knelt stature. Pyrrha lowers her glowing shield and uses the thousand-degree edge to slice the end of Merlot's mechanised arm off, bringing the flame thrower to an end. Merlot yelps as Pyrrha steps on his other hand, pinning him in place, her heel proving to be very uncomfortable.

Merlot's red optic looks up and he grins wickedly, Pyrrha furrowing her brows in confusion. Too late does she hear the barrelling metal footsteps behind, turning to the robot shoulder charging her through the parapet in a spray of rubble.

She falls towards the horde below, eyes wide in shock. Thinking quick, she outstretches her hand and it glows black. Milo blasting a hole straight through the robot's chest, flat out shutting it down. As it falls, Milo dives down for her, Pyrrha rolling over in the air and readying her knees up to her chest, as Milo passes beneath her with a loud metallic hum.

She kicks down on Milo's blunt backside and gives herself a double jump up onto a ledge, Milo slamming into the Creep crowd below, killing at least twelve with a massive shockwave.

Pyrrha pants, surveying her surroundings, before seeing the explosive red canisters. She grins and swings her wrist, launching Akoúo into a spin directly at them. The shield impacts and pierces the red drum, knocking it off the ledge and falling into the Creeps below. Pyrrha braces herself, gritting her teeth and covering her ears.

The drum squashes several creeps but doesn’t explode.

"Wha-?" Pyrrha looks down, then up. "Ah, what? But red barrels always explode!" She huffs like a disappointed child, almost like she is winging, "Fine, old fashioned way then." She leaps off the wall towards the Creeps forming a mountain out of themselves to get to her. She raises both fists over her head and slams them down on the top two Creeps, rolling over their backs and sliding down the writhing mound. She pushes off the last Creep and rolls through the air before catching Milo in one hand and Akoúo in the other, sliding along her knees in a shower of sparks.

The fluid the flattened red drum had been leaking the whole time catches those sparks and ignites in a pale blue and orange flame, racing back along the floor in a swath of fire, before reaching the drum and erupting in a loud fireball.

"Yay!" Pyrrha's eyes light up, just as the remaining creeps barrel towards her. She finds a recess in the cave wall and presses her back into it, raising Milo in spear form over Akoúo. She blows out a shaky breath. "Okay... Phalanx. Just as Father taught you." She grits her teeth as the Grimm make contact.

Merlot rises to his feet, stumbling inside with a slow and heavy limp. He disappears inside of his lab trying to find his weapon attachments - one handed. Eventually he does, muttering to himself as he cleans off the melted metal and can finally attach to the elbow socket. He grins, then freezes as silence reigns outside the door. He tilts his head.

Silence.

"Well... " He stands with a groan. "Perhaps that truly was too many Grimm. Shame. She would've made a fine Huntress."

He unlocks the door and it slides open, revealing Pyrrha leaning against the wall, checking herself in her pocket mirror while her Aura slowly regenerates. Black blood freckles her once pristine armour, the shield on her back dented and scratched to near unrecognisable stature. That will most certainly

"Ready to go?" She shuts the mirror and says with a peppy smile. Merlot simply scoffs. "Grand."

He grits his teeth and raises the arm cannon, to which Pyrrha huffs and kicks his bad knee, dropping the man to the ground, before taking his arm and detaching it.

"Won't be needing weapons." She says, throwing it over him into the trash can.

“I…take it I can’t call a lawyer?” Merlot asks curiously, and she grabs him, lifting him up to his feet.

“Do you have one?” She asks, and he falls silent.

“I did.” Merlot says, and Pyrrha just raises her brow and sighs.

“Come on, don’t make this difficult.” She says, but he looks back at her and he just starts ranting and raving about her and the Huntsmen Academies.

“Do you really think this will help anything? This isn’t the first time you lot have tried to take me and it gosh-darnt will not be the last!” Merlot calls out, and Pyrrha rolls her eyes, before glancing at the roll of duct tape sat on the table and her gaze slowly turns to Merlot with a smirk. Merlot’s eyes widen and he stares back. “Oh no…don’t you dare.”

 

**Ruby**

Outside of the location, they are all waiting for the last two members to return with their prizes. Team R.W.B.Y, Team J.N.P.R – missing only Pyrrha and Jaune right now – and Team S.S.S.N. Ruby stands with her back pressed against the tree here in the domain where both Pyrrha and Jaune agreed to locate their rewards. As friends – or family – they agreed to turn in their gifts together at the exact same time.

Four years have passed since the fall of the Black Smog, and they are now at their Graduation, and they have all changed over the years. Ruby now sports a white high-neck décolletage blouse with brown studded wristbands on the arms. Her outfit retains the use of a black skirt with red tulle underneath, somewhat similar to her original outfit, but her waist cincher has been replaced with an over bust corset with red strip holding it in place. A black belt bordered in red holds the magnetic clip for Crescent Rose and its ammunition. She also has brown straps on her blouse that allow her to wear a small brown backpack.

In lieu of her usual full black stockings, Ruby wears thigh-high stockings reaching to a few inches below the hem of her skirt, decorated by an image of a long-stemmed rose. Her red-soled black boots contain four straps and buckles apiece. Her cloak has a singular clip on the right shoulder in the shape of her emblem, replacing the cross-shaped clips from her original attire. Both the cloak and the stockings show tears from the long road they have been on to get to this point. Her hair has also grown slightly longer, maintaining the colour gradation from black at the roots to red at the tips.

Weiss’ new gear includes a short, glittering dress with a colour gradation of blue to pale blue at the hem, a sweetheart neckline, and a white, tulle petticoat.

A white ribbon is wrapped multiple times around her waist, and over the outfit is worn a slightly sheer long-sleeved blue shrug fastened at the collar with a large sapphire broach that has three pendants dangling from it. Printed on the back of the shrug is the Schnee Crest. Completing her attire are dark blue wedge heels and sapphire drop earrings.

Blake’s new attire features a long white tailcoat with dark grey lining and a sleeveless black crop top. The crop top has rectangular and diamond-shaped cut-outs around the neckline. Additionally, she wears a white belt over black fitted pants. Across her torso is a diagonal strap that contains a smaller magnetic clip used to sheathe Gambol Shroud. She wears thigh-high black heeled boots with gold-coloured edging around the top. The left boot has a belt wrapped twice around the thigh. Each boot bears her belladonna emblem in white on the outer side of the thigh, and a white pouch is attached to the back of her belt. And now, she no longer wears her bow.

Yang still wears the clothes she chose to wear upon returning to Beacon when the Black Smog attacked. She wears a tan jacket with orange lining and gold edging, unzipped halfway to show an orange crop top. The coat has darker brown short sleeves, a thick collar that completely encircles her neck, and two long gold-trimmed detachable rectangular tails. She also wears fitted black pants, and her hair has been let down again like her original outfit.

Around her hips and over the tails of her coat is a brown belt, which has two pieces of dark brown material trimmed in gold attached to it. The first covers from her left hip to the back of the belt and is folded over the belt, and the second is attached from the right hip and almost around to the other piece of material. She wears knee high brown boots with gold caps on the heel and toe, with the heel cap attaching to a gold strap across the front of her ankle, and a gold zipper on the upper half of the front of the boots. A single small buckled strap is on the upper outside of her boots, and a purple bandana tied around her left knee. A pair of black fingerless gloves with long brown cuffs reaching to mid forearm complete the outfit.

They are not the only ones to change their attire either, for Ren and Nora have done the same thing. Nora has fashioned herself a new matured version of her previous clothes, including a brand new – and awesome – weapon. She has named it Stormur Skeggox, an extremely powerful Battleaxe filled with the same pink dust that she would use with her now destroyed Magnhild. It still transforms into her beloved Grenade Launcher but has shrunken it down to an axe, for faster strikes, and with thrusters that can allow more devastating blows. Her orange hair has grown longer, and her body is larger thanks to her incredible – and terrifying strength.

Especially her thunder thighs.

With her sleeves rolled up, the muscle definition is as clear as day. Ren on the other hand has had a major change, now no longer tying his hair up behind his head, he has let it fall and grow long. He also wears a combat under armour that is black and tight to his skin, with an off-the-shoulder green sleeve that relates back to his old coat he wore before. He also has a curved dagger sheathed on his boot and has upgraded Stormflower to have larger and stronger blades, ones that can actually cut up Grimm extremely well. He – like the rest of them – has also improved his muscular definition, becoming one hell of an adversary for foes to face.

Sun on the other hand is the only member of his team to actually change his attire. He now wears a black shirt with golden buttons connecting it together, completely buttoned up. And the reason? Certainly because of the new scar he has scraped across his chest from the Praetorian Knight. The wound can still be seen, and due to how deep and serious the wound was, he required a unique form of surgery that cannot be removed. To prevent further damage to his body and internal haemorrhaging the nurses injected a dark grey filament to repair the damage, however it cannot be removed afterwards. He now has a long scar with this filament across his chest and the side of his face, cutting through his cheek and his hair on one side.

He is smiling again, but still suffers from some rather serious insecurities about his wound, ones that he cannot bring himself to keep his shirt open anymore. But that has not stopped him and his team from being the lovable idiots that they are, as they all stand there waiting with Ice Cream that they bought from a nearby truck in the city. The location they are at?

Mountain Glenn.

Turns out Merlot decided he wanted to return back to the city of which he caused the destruction of in the first place to conduct his experiments on the Grimm. Obviously, it did not take much for them to figure out he would return here, they were not fools – they knew he would have escaped from his facility when he set it to self-destruct.

Weiss and Blake look at their boyfriends and shake their heads at them, and Neptune pauses licking the ice cream as he looks at her. “What?” He slurs and she just rolls her eyes, in which Sun challenges her as he always does.

“Y’know you’re just jealous you didn’t think of it, Ice Queen.” Sun jabs with a cheeky grin on his face, a grin that Weiss detests. She spins round and stares at him.

“I am not some savage mutt! I have class and would never…want…Ice Cream.” She stammers, fighting through the words as she stares at the delicious ice cream in their hands. Sun scoffs as he stares at Weiss.

“You fought through that.” Sun comments with a grin on his face, and Weiss blushes as Neptune smirks, offering his Ice Cream to her.

“No, I didn’t.” She defends, crossing her arms and looking away, until she glances back at the Cream for a second. Nora and Ren look at each other as they wait for Jaune and they jump off the rock they are both sat on.

“We’re gonna go see how Jaune’s doing in there.” She says as she and Ren both walk towards the old abandoned building that Jaune headed into. He said he was simply gonna go in there, grab the old relic Ozpin said was in here, and come back with it. Unlike Blake and Weiss, Ruby is staring at the pink ice cream that Scarlet is licking beside his boyfriend, salivating desperately. And Scarlet’s words don’t make it any easier for the Puppy Girl.

“This is Delicious.” He comments as he continues to enjoy his treat.

“Oh, come on…” She groans desperately, the petals building up around her long red cape, and Yang rolls his eyes, extending her metal hand, grabbing her cape just as she tries to dash towards it, only to fall on her butt. She sits beside her sister and looks at the floor sadly. As she sits there, the little Corgi approaches her and licks her hand as she sits there, immediately curing her fake grief with joy as she tickles Zwei.

“I can’t believe you brought him here.” Weiss comments.

“How could I leave him? LOOK AT HIS LITTLE FACE!” Ruby squeals as she points to Zwei as he pants with a smile, looking at Weiss, and she breaks with a similar squeal, petting him.

“How can you not love a face like this?” Weiss coos as she scratches his ears, and Blake shudders, looking away from the dog.

“I can hate that face.” She says, making Yang chuckle.

“Your sour puss.” She jokes, making yet another one of her puns, hearing Sun’s response in the background.

“Get out.” Sun orders, and she looks around at the _outside_ location they are at.

“How?” She asks.

“Go inside, and then get out.” Sun says, and Yang sighs as she walks towards one of the ancient destroyed buildings to do exactly that, in which Sage chuckles. Blake’s ear twitches when she hears the approach of someone nearby and she turns her head and bumps her partner’s elbow upon her return.

“Look.” She says, and they all turn to see Pyrrha emerging with Merlot at her mercy – with duct tape around his mouth – walking him down the steps. His deadpanned expression truly does make them feel great, especially to realise they finally have him this time.

“Well look who it is.” Ruby says as she walks towards Merlot in Pyrrha’s custody. She stares him down and he stares right back. “Been a while…”

He muffles and Pyrrha rolls her emerald eyes, grabbing the duct tape and ripping it off, quite sharply too. “Ouch…hello again, Miss Rose.” He says as he looks at her, and Ruby chuckles.

“You’re not getting out of this one this time, Merlot. You’re gonna do your time for what you’ve done.” She states as she stares right into his eyes and he scoffs.

“Please, you can’t hold me. Nobody can for long.” He states as he leans back with a smile.

“Alright, that’s enough out of you.” Pyrrha says as she sticks the duct tape back to the wriggling Doctor’s mouth. Pyrrha moves him across the destroyed area and she sits him down, chaining him up to a metal pole whilst they wait for the rest of her team to return, with whatever Jaune has located for his final exam. Pyrrha walks back to Ruby and gives her a hug. “Thank you for waiting, sorry if I kept you waiting.”

“Still waiting on Jaune.” Ruby comments as she looks at the building he went into.

“He isn’t back?” Pyrrha asks her, and Ruby shakes her head as she leans against Crescent Rose. Pyrrha looks at the building and she sighs. “I’m sure he’s fine, but…you know me.” Pyrrha says.

“Go on, we’ll wait.” She says to her and Pyrrha walks towards the building. She jumps up and clambers up the building, through the destroyed walls and windows, shattered by the Grimm that decimated this place. With the Black Smog practically extinct now, Vale is finally completely secure. The City of Vale and Beacon are both nearly completely repaired as well, just adding the finishing touches now. Pyrrha walks up the broken stairs with ease towards the opening into that cave that Jaune mentioned.

Until a sudden tremor hits…and she stops as she hears a distant scream.

A familiar scream…almost girly.

But certainly Jaune’s.

She sees him running towards her, now in his new gear he had forged with Pyrrha as she got her new clothes as well. He also still rocks his new haircut, the sides shaven down and his blonde locks waving with every movement made by him. Nora and Ren both sprint beside him, Nora with Stormur Skeggox in her grasp and Ren with Stormflower. “Pyrrha! The window!” Jaune screams.

“Jaune? What did you do?” She questions, when suddenly a massive Cerberus Grimm erupts through the floor behind them, bellowing out from all three heads, smashing through the supports as it charges after them. Her eyes widen and she pulls Akoúo into her grasp.

“The WINDOW!” Jaune shrieks, and she nods her head.

“Done!” She calls, swinging round and launching Akoúo right into it, shattering it and she jumps through, her team behind her as they slide down. Nora slides towards Sun who has no idea of what is charging towards them.

“OMPH!” Nora grunts as she slides past him, eating his whole ice cream, leaving him with just the cone. He deadpans and sighs as he stands there, staring at the empty cone, turning to the open window. When the Cerberus suddenly erupts through the building with a deafening roar. He drops the cone and Scarlet eats the whole thing in one, crying out from the brain freeze. Everyone draws their weapons as the beast crashes down into the centre of the area, roaring as it bites at them with its three heads.

All the meanwhile…

Zwei waddles along and approaches Ruby’s little Walkman on the ground with her Red Like Roses Headphones plugged in from when she was listening to them. He looks at it as they all start battling against the Creature of Grimm behind him, and he nibbles on the cable, yanking it from her Walkman, allowing the music to blare out.

The Remixed version of _I Burn_ that played in Junior’s Club begins playing in the background and Zwei flicks his head back with a joyous smile on his face.

He waddles along as he hears the music playing around him, seemingly unaware of the epic battle happening around him. But he doesn’t care, he is happy, a happy little corgi. He waddles along as Ruby shoots around him in a cyclone of petals, firing Crescent Rose at the massive Beast as it barks and howls, jumping and biting at her repeatedly, whilst Scarlet swings round one of the buildings and kicks it in the side of one of its heads. The Cerberus barks from the impact and staggers back, slashing its claws that ignite with flames at him as he rolls back, just avoiding it. It swings its long spiny tail round and smacks Jaune across the ground, rolling past Zwei and landing right beside him, He groans as he slowly gets back up, pressing Crocea Mors down into the ground to get back up. He blocks an incoming fireball with his shield as he stares at it, panting.

He stands tall and double takes when he sees Zwei waddling along. “Zwei?” He comments, until suddenly the fireball comes flying back once again, sending him rolling back. Zwei – unphased by it all – continues to waddle along. His tongue hanging out as he keeps playing with joy as Ruby’s Walkman keeps playing her beloved tunes. Weiss flips through the air and she slides across her Glyph, forming another to stop the incoming fireball. She stares at Zwei, seeing him in danger.

“Zwei! Get out of here, you’re gonna get hurt!” She demands, and Zwei looks at her then his ears flop down as he gives her the sad puppy eyes and whines. Her heart melts immediately as she leans forward, hands pressed to her legs. “Oh, it’s okay, I love you!” She coos with a bright smile, when suddenly the Cerberus swings its tail right at her, sending her flying with a distant scream. Zwei barks as he bounces along, Sun spiralling his Gunchucks round as he fires them repeatedly, expelling shells with every single shot. He rolls aside as the Cerberus turns ones of its heads and blasts a fireball right at him, and Neptune pulls his goggles down and engages his semblance, rapidly firing shots into the fireballs, exploding them as it fires them at him.

Sage roars as he jumps up at the beast with his Claymore held above his head as she slashes it down the swinging tail of the beast, cutting it clean off, landing right beside the little puppy that dances with the music. The Cerberus growls and it lunges towards him, biting onto his aura protected body and shaking him around like a chew toy. “Get off him!” Nora calls out as she throws her new Storm Axe and it spins through the air, right over Zwei with crackling pink dust around it, stabbing it into the jaw of the creature. She jumps and grapples onto her axe, cutting its jaw open and ripping Sage from its razor-sharp teeth.

Sage crashes and tumbles across the ground, landing right in front of Zwei. He looks at the black and white Corgi, seeing him smile and lick his nose gently. Sage chuckles and ruffles his fluffy head, before getting back up and charging towards the monster with his huge sword, not even bothered by the attack he just endured. Zwei turns and his attention is caught by a small Grimm – one of those Rapier Wasps in fact – alone they are completely harmless but in swarms that is something else entirely. The Wasp buzzes along and he chases after it, biting at it repeatedly.

He finally catches it, trying to eat it until Ruby zooms back in a swarm of petals, landing right beside her beloved dog. “Hey, c’mon, spit it out. Spit it!” Ruby orders and he does as she commands, spitting the dead wasp out onto the floor, smothered in saliva. “Gross pup.” Ruby says before spinning round and firing Crescent Rose at the furious beast that blasts fireballs into the sky, like it is triggering the end times. She takes her rifle and transforms it into Scythe form, blasting towards the beast yet again. She cuts straight through the thick and armoured hide of the huge creature, curving around it, opening deep wounds all over its massive body before hooking the blade underneath the neck of one of its heads.

She fires the rifle, riding the recoil and severing the head from the neck, black smoke pouring out from its stump. The head crashes down to the ground with a thud, and Ruby lands down onto the ground nearby. Ren jumps up and lands onto one of Weiss’ Glyphs, firing both of his Stormflower Pistols at the giant creature, black blood and smoke pouring from every single wound, it roars with both rage and hunger. He lands on the ground and rolls out of the way as Nora points the head of her Axe at the beast, charging the pink dust up and blasting a focused beam of energy from the opening inside. The beam of superheated dust carves through one of its muscular legs and it bellows in agony, collapsing as it gets severed.

Yang punches one of the last two heads with her fists, punching it downwards into the ground so hard that the ground shakes and cracks split through the surface of the ground. It groans as it rises up, but snaps its jaws at her suddenly, only for her to cartwheel backwards to avoid its devastating jaws. She raises her fists to see Blake swing round with her Grappling Hook, stabbing Gambol Shroud into its neck and slicing a deep wound into it, so deep it causes the head to hang from sinew.

She lands down and nods to Yang, she throws her Grappling Hook to her and the Blonde-Haired Brawler catches it in her metal hand, and she runs around the block and the Cerberus. She fires Ember Celica repeatedly behind her to build up on speed, and Blake yells as she launches Yang towards that head. She yells with fury, punching the side of its skull with immense force, beheading it from the impact alone. The head falls from its neck and crashes down to the ground with a heavy thud.

Yang lands down on the ground and smirks to Blake, and Ruby readies herself as she stares at the final one and nods to Pyrrha who blasts towards it. She throws her shield and it collides into its nose, making it recoil back from the impact. Weiss casts ice and it freezes around its legs to hold it in position whilst Pyrrha zooms in. She and Pyrrha take their bladed weapons, and they swing them with great speed, cutting straight through the last neck of the Cerberus, killing it. The head crashes down in front of Zwei and he growls, barking at the dead beast’s head as it crumbles and disintegrates before his very eyes.

Ruby lands down on the ground as she pants, rising back up and cracking her neck. Pyrrha lands and she slams her sword down to the ground, landing with one knee pressed to the ground. She looks up, her red hair flowing in the wind as she looks at Jaune who nervously chuckles. “Hey…” He says to her and she walks towards him, grabbing his face and kissing him lovingly on the lips.

As they break, she whispers to him. “You had me worried.” She says.

“Me? Nah, had it under control.” He assures with a chuckle.

“Oh rubbish.” Scarlet says with a scoff as he holsters his pistol.

“No, no…hundred percent.” Jaune assures, leaning down and pressing his hands to his legs as he sighs.

“Did you…get your trophy?” Yang asks him as she deactivates Ember Celica, walking through the black smoke of the dead Cerberus.

“Mhm...check it out – the long-lost declaration for Mountain Glenn to be built years ago.” Jaune reveals, pulling out of his pocket. Their eyes widen as they look at it.

“Oz has been looking for stuff like that for years, so then we can always remember our history.” Sun says as he looks at the scroll in Jaune’s hand.

They did it…

 

**Jaune**

 

With their final exam's handed in, and their month-long mission complete, J.N.P.R and R.W.B.Y let out the loudest, most exhausted sigh ever heard on Remnant. Team S.S.S.N have already gone off to get some drinks, leaving only the two teams together. Then, eyes opening to the world again, the eight friends all look to each other, and...

"YEAH!"

"Wahoo!"

"That's it! W-We're done!"

"O-Oh I can't believe it! Look I-I'm shaking, just lookame!"

They quickly stem their chattering, Ruby hugging Jaune as tight as she can, laughing into his neck. She kicks her legs to the air and cheered. "Yeaaaah! That's a wrap! Now we just gotta wait for our results!"

"Which, judging by how long Winter said it might take to grade, we can expect back in two to three weeks. Excluding weekends and holidays." Weiss clears her throat into her fist. Yang loops her robotic arm over Weiss' shoulders with a grin.

"Well I think we have all earned ourselves a decent meal, huh?"

"Oh absolutely!" They all nods amongst themselves.

"No more ration packs?" Nora whispers with hope, balling up the collar of Ren's tailcoat in her fists. He chuckles and takes her hands in his, nodding with a soft smile. "Real food?"

"Yes Nora. And you can have aaaall the pancakes you want." Ren says amidst a chortle, ruffling her hair. She gasps, instantly drooling, plates upon plates of food dancing across her eyes.

"Mmm, I must admit... " Jaune stretches his back with a click and a crack. "I'm dying for something greasy, served with fries."

"Normally, I'd remind you of training, to please pick a healthier option... " Pyrrha smirks, prodding his collarbone. Then her stomach grumbles loudly, to which she blushes. "... but today is a definite exception to the rule. I want chocolate cake."

"Oh, a Gateau? With frosting and a small helping of ice cream?" Weiss has hearts in her eyes, blinking rapidly and shaking her head. They all stare at her in disbelief. "What? I have a sweet tooth too you know. Especially when I've eaten dehydrated... every fruit and vegetable under the sun for the past month!"

"Yuck, yeah Weiss is right. I didn't know so many things could be dehydrated and put in a plastic bag." Ruby sticks out her tongue. "Blake, didn't you have a dehydrated water bottle at one point?"

"Yeah, I honestly believe it was a gag gift Sun put in my rations pack before we left." Blake pinches her brow. "Just had an empty bottle all month."

"Pfft, what?"

"Oh yeah, she's not kidding." Yang nods, removing her rucksack and unzipping it. "I kept it cos I found it so funny." She pulls out the bottle, already chuckling. "Pfft! Look, see? Even says-"

"To drink add 25 millilitres of water." Nora and Jaune read, both snorting. "Gotta be a gag, right?"

"I'd hope so!" Yang chuckles, taking her smelly rucksack and turning it upside over the nearest trashcan. Out falls empty foil ration packets by the dozen. "Th-This is the whole teams by the way."

"Nope, Yang ate all our rations too." Blake smirks, hand on her hip as Yang gasps.

"Did not!"

"So did." Weiss crosses her arms with a cocked hip. Yang growls at her.

"Guys! Mmm’ hungry!" Ruby pouts as her stomach rumbled. "Can we just continue this later, you know... once my belly's stopped eating itself?"

"Good call Ruby." Jaune takes out his scroll with a hum. "Ooh! We could go to Caesars teasers. They do good seafood."

"Right now, I'd eat sea food." Yang huffs, patting her stomach. "As in-"

" _I see food I eat it._ " All seven of her friends say in unison, rolling their collective eyes. Yang pouts.

"You guys are no fun."

"Huh hoh! Oh boy, Oooor we could go to Freddie's Pizzeria!" Jaune smiles joyfully at all the collective frowns. "What? It's a respectable chain."

"Maybe, if we were hosting a kids party!" Weiss snaps, "I think we have all earned a full three courses at one of Vale's classiest establishments."

"Wash your mouth out Weiss, Freddie's is classy! Why I even took Pyrrha there on a date a few months back!" Jaune smiles at her. R.W.B.Y tilt their heads to look around Jaune at Pyrrha.

"He didn't."

"He did." Pyrrha laughs sheepishly, tapping her fingertips together. "It was... umm... lovely."

"Yeah!" Jaune's eyes darts back to Pyrrha. He knows her nervous ticks like the back of his hand by now. "Wait. You didn't like it?"

"Oh no, your company was lovely! It's just... A-And I am grateful... but... for Valentine’s Day? Really?" She winces. R.W.B.Y gasp collectively. He turns to face them.

"You didn't!" Yang gasps.

"What is wrong with you?!" Weiss scoffs.

"Jaune... really? Not. Cool." Blake rolls her eyes.

"Yeaaaah, I don't do dates, Jaune. But even I know that's low." Ruby shakes her head. Jaune gasps, a hand over his heart. He steps backwards, the shock and awe evident in his eyes.

"Well! I learned something about my friends today! A-And girlfriend! That they cannot appreciate class when it hits them in the face!"

" _I'm_  going to hit you in the face!" Weiss growls, shaking her fist at him. Jaune sticks out his tongue in retaliation. Nora huffs, waddling in between them all.

"So that's it, huh? We survive our month-long mission... only to starve to death outside of Beacon... BECAUSE NOBODY COULD MAKE UP THEIR MIIIIIIINDS-AH!" She pants, her voice echoing.

"R.W.B.Y! Fall in!" Ruby yells, huddling with her three teammates. Jaune frowns.

"Oh yeah? JNPR! On me!" He snaps, huddling with his three. "Okay, Freddie's has an ice cream machine and it's amaze-balls, s'all I'm saying."

"Jaune. I have to agree with Weiss. We do deserve to spoil ourselves. This is to celebrate the completion of our last exams!" Pyrrha shrugs, looking to Ren and Nora whom her arms are looped around. Jaune nods.

"Okay. No, you guys are right. By the way... can I just say, as your leader." He swallows thickly. "That I love you guys. Seriously. We've been through so much, a-and... well... I guess I never want it to end." He smiles, wiping his eye. "I hope I've been the best leader I could be for you."

"You've been the bestest." Nora beams, booping his nose. Ren smiles softly.

"I'm not booping your nose. But I could not have asked for a better leader through all this, or a better best friend."

Nora gasps, her eyes glassy.

"Best, male friend?" Ren adds. Nora pouts. "Male friend?" Nora hiccups, wiping her eyes. "Friend?" Nora sniffles and whines. "Nora!"

"I for one, think that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Pyrrha smiles up at him. Jaune beams back.

"Okay, break huddle." Jaune stands up. "So, I can kiss my girlfriend." He pulls her to him, claiming her lips. She smiles into the kiss, lifting her hand to cradle the back of his head, stroking the rough short hairs. His hands find her hip and the small of her back, closing the distance between them. Nora looks at Ren with a smirk. He blinks at her, then at the lip locked pair, sighing heavily.

"Ahem?" Ren clears his throat into his fist. Pyrrha and Jaune blink their eyes open, lips still firmly locked as they looked at him. Ren pats his stomach and then points in the direction of Vale.

"Can he get marked down for sleeping with a team member? Not very professional, eh leader?" Nora nudges Jaune, causing him to spasm into her elbow and break his lip lock with Pyrrha. Pyrrha blushes, wiping the saliva from her lips with her thumb.

"Sorry."

"Ahem. Yeah." Jaune rubs the back of his head with a cough. Ren looks at Nora and shakes his head with a roll of his eyes. He goes to walk over to the still huddled R.W.B.Y and slowly raising voices, when Nora catches his collar with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"And where'd you think you're going, partner? He gets a little sugar, what about me? Hmm?" Nora places her other hand on her hip. Ren gives a small chuckle and leans in, sweetly pecking the Valkyrie on the lips.

"First food, then some privacy for the two of us." Ren says softly against her ticklish skin. Nora sighs heavenly.

"You sir, know the way into my heart." She gives him one last chaste kiss, before turning to Pyrrha and Jaune. "See? Self-control. Learn some."

"I'm sorry, but he was nearly eaten by a Cerberus earlier!" Pyrrha shrugs, finding her shoes suddenly very interesting.

...

"Oh please, Ruby. The only reason you don't want to eat there anymore is because they stopped selling baked goods."

"I'm not rewarding their disrespect with my time, Weiss! I ain't about that life." Ruby frowns at her. Weiss groans, pinching her brow. "Yang! Think of somewhere!"

"Err..."

"Quick fire! Off the top of your head! Go!"

"Ceasers!"

"Nah, I don't feel like sea food." Ruby frowns. Yang scoffs.

"Y-You said-"

"Gosh Yang, stop living in the past!"

"That's it!"

"That's it we're going to Caesars." Weiss says, standing out of the huddle as Yang tackles Ruby. JNPR walk over.

"Hey, made a decision?"

"Caesars."

"Sounds good to me." Pyrrha smiles softly as Yang and Ruby choke each other in the foreground. "I must admit I am famished."

"I think we can all relate." Weiss whimpers, holding her growling stomach. The cloud of fists and bickering roll across the ground between them all. Nora hops onto Ren's back, looping her arms around his neck, while Jaune happily feeds his hand into Pyrrha's. They look adoringly at each other, before Pyrrha sighs and snaps her eyes to the fighting sisters.

"Umm, you two?"

"Huh?" The bickering sisters pause. The six awaiting pairs of eyes all bore into them. Yang blink back to Ruby, both unfreezing and standing up, patting one another off.

"Let's go eat." Blake sighs, dragging Yang off by her collar guard, boots scraping the concrete.

"Hey umm... quick question Weiss." Jaune speaks up. Weiss turns to look at him with a huff.

"Yes Jaune?"

"What star rating has Caesars got?"

"Oh, it's fancy. At least four. Why?" Weiss crosses her arms.

"Because... well... we all... " He lifts his arm and sniffs his armpit, his face going green. "Stink."

Weiss pales, looking down at her navy-blue combat skirt, at all the stains and scuffs. She groans and sniffs her own armpit, almost throwing up in her mouth. "Bleurgh! That's it! Team RWBY, Halt!"

"So close." Ruby groans, lowering her head. Blake stops, looking at Ruby with a raised brow. "She's realised."

"What?"

"That she stinks. That we all do. Now we have to shower and change before we can eat." Ruby whines.

"We are not going to an establishment like that dressed and smelling like this! We are not animals!" Weiss crosses her arms, before pointing back at Beacon. "Hit the showers and pick out your best attire. We're going to do this properly!"

...

"Okay Jaune! Shower's all yours!" Nora yells through the bathroom door. Said leader is sat on his bed, Pyrrha straddling his lap with both hands on his shoulders, their lips locked in the quiet of their room. Jaune peels his lips from hers.

"Thanks Nora! Man, I can't wait to brush my teeth." He chuckles. "Sorry my breath stinks."

"You and me both." Pyrrha hums, stroking the back of his head with a satisfied sigh. Their bodies hum with tiredness, hunger bordering on starvation. But the hunger for touch is sated as Pyrrha gets as much of Jaune as she can in this small peaceful moment. She kisses his neck and buries her face there.

"Love you." She mumbles. Jaune smiles, burying his face in her dusty, knotted hair.

"Love you too." He smiles, hugging her tightly. He sobers and pulls away, cupping her elbows and sitting her up again. Her eyes search him, confusion adorably knitting her brows. "Listen. A-About that Valentine’s Day. I'm sorry, I should have taken you somewhere nicer, fancier."

"Jaune, it's okay, I was only teasing." Pyrrha says, stroking his head with her nails, sending shivers down his neck. "I'm happy wherever as long as I'm with you."

"Yeah." He chuckles, kissing her nose. "Same to you."

She grins against his ear, whispering hotly. "I've missed you." Pyrrha slowly dismounts his lap, winking at him with a smirk just as the bathroom door flung open. They may have agreed to wait to bring in their Trophies together as a unified effort – but they mainly had been hunting down these trophies on their own or in small teams in areas where they are close. Her hunt for Merlot happened to bring her to the same place where Jaune was searching for that sealed Certificate.

They had not seen each other in quite a while. So, they have some catching up to do.

"Aah! I feel so squeaky clean, huh Ren?"

Currently Ren is brushing his teeth, leaning over the sink. With a mouthful of toothpaste, he nods to her.

"Yesh Nora. Shqueky clean."

"Ah." Nora's content smile falters. "So, who's gonna shower first?" Nora asks. Pyrrha wrings her fingers gingerly while Jaune scratches the back of his head, scanning the carpet.

"Well... Jaune can go first if he likes." Pyrrha sighs. Nora studies the bashful pair before looking at her bed and the folded up Stormur Skeggox. She flits her eyes back to Jaune and Pyrrha then clears her throat.

"Oh, Ren!"

"Yes Nora?"

"We should really check our weapons back into the lockers before we go out for the evening, don'tcha think?"

"Well... yes, probably." Ren re-emerges fully dressed. "Can't it wait till-"

"Nope. Let's do it now, I can't be bothered to wait for these two to get ready. You know how long Pyrrha takes to do her hair." Nora shrugs.

"I do not-"

"Ye-Yes you do." Nora glares at her knowingly, nodding to Jaune and back so Ren couldn't see. Pyrrha catches on and flushes.

"Oh! Y-Yes, my mistake, I do. The length of it, it just takes so long to dry. Sorry." She shrugs with a sheepish laugh. Ren huffs.

"Okay, come on Nora." He picks up Stormflower and Crocea Mors. "You guys want us to drop these off too?"

"That'd be great! Thanks guys." Jaune smiles, standing and rolling his shoulder with a groan.

"Okay. See you in a while. Come along, Nora."

"Coming Ren!" She follows him out, before leaning back in to stare at Pyrrha. "You two owe me!"

"Huh?" Jaune says as the door clicks shut. "Owe her for wha-Mmmph!" He is silenced by Pyrrha's lips engulfing his. She kisses him with all she has, breathing through their noses loudly. They finally part, panting.

"Shower. The both of us. Now." Pyrrha says in the small space, her face flushes red. Jaune nods dumbly, taking her hand and following her into the bathroom.

How things change in four years…

 

**Pyrrha**

 

Weiss takes a step up to the front desk at Caesars, clearing her throat into her fist. The man writing into a small book behind the counter looks up and smiles, shutting the notebook. "Hello, we would like a table for eight please."

"Table for eight... " He reopens the notebook and runs his finger down the page. "Taaaaaaable fooooooor aha, eight. I can give you the booth in the back room?"

"Sounds lovely." Weiss nods, waving over the others.

...

"So anyway, there we are- sc-scene's set, right? - Nora's thrown a toaster in the river, me and Pyrrha are hanging onto this branch for dear life, right? A-And Ren! Ren's just... hahaha... o-okay, okay. Whew. Ren. Ren's across the river, yelling at Nora to stop whatever it is she's doing, cos this Ursa's trying to climb the tree me and Pyr are in!" Jaune fights through the story with only occasional interruptions from laughter.

"... So, Nora stomps back over, picks up Stormur, Yells at Ren... a-and I quote. "Hush ya gums, I'm charging up over here!" The table snicker with barely held back laughter, Nora biting her lip while Yang struggles to keep her bubbling laugh within. "... So, Nora stands in the river, after aaaaall that, yeah? She stands there, looks at her feet and just says "Oh man, I need to plug it in first."

The entire table erupt in laughter, startling all the other quieter customers, eyes curiously searching the restaurant for the noisy Huntsmen. Weiss giggles into her palm, wiping her eye carefully with her fingertip.

"Y-You dunce, you're ruining my make up!"

"Nora!" Yang lifts her head off the table, grasping the neck of her beer bottle. "Y-You're killin’ me!"

"I was under pressure!" Nora defends herself with a grin. "I had Grimm to kill, and I needed a juice up, stat!"

"That was very funny." Pyrrha snickers, finger tracing the rim of her wine glass. "Where did you even get the toaster?"

"The house, at the mill. Where the Ursa was hiding out." Nora thumbs over her shoulder, as if the house was there. Jaune smiles softly at Nora.

"This one." Jaune beams, pointing across the table at Nora, to which she raises a brow and a smile. "Is one of the best team mates I could ever ask for. And a great little sister."

"Pretty sure I'm older than you." Nora grins, lifting her chin and crossing her arms. Jaune shrugs and leans back in his seat, looping his arm over Pyrrha's shoulder.

"Mental age, sure."

"Ah, yeah, that's the one." Nora laughs, picking up her glass, smiling into it. Jaune smiles and winks at her, before turning to Ruby across the table.

"So! That's just one of the many stories from this month's mission." Jaune chuckles. "Ruby? What'd you guys get up to?"

"Yes, we would love to hear that." Pyrrha leans forward, chin resting atop her palms with a grin. Weiss snaps her eyes to Ruby and lifts her finger warningly.

"You are not telling that story!" She narrows her eyes as Ruby's mouth slowly opens. "Ruby, so help me, I know you too well by now!"

"So basically..." Ruby says, Weiss groaning and dropping her head in her hands. "We found this little village. It was pretty... run down, but pretty, you know?"

"Mmm." Pyrrha nods, lifting her glass to her lips. Ruby looks at Yang and gapes. Yang huffs and carries the story forward.

"So anyway, Weiss walks into the square - you know, middle of the village type thing, yadda, yadda - anyways! Weiss. Fountain. Water in the fountain. Green mossy water." Yang says, looking at JNPR knowingly.

"Uh oh." Nora snorts, snuggling into Ren's side as she gulps her drink. Yang nods.

"So, this squirrel jumps off the roof of this old house and knocks a couple of glasses over, smashing them. Ice queen here jumps - you know "Argh!" type deal - Stumbles back and-"

"Falls into the fountain, yes hah-hah!" Weiss rolls her eyes, groaning as the table laughed.

These are the moments they always wanted to remember…always wanted to last.

Not the horror…that would follow.


	2. Graduation Day

**Jaune**

 

Today is the day.

Their day.

Four years of hard work, fighting the monsters that feast on fear and wear hides of shadow; it has all led to this: Graduation day.

The Beacon courtyard - so normally empty and spacious - is now lined with rows upon rows of black chairs, all facing the centre stage, draped with shiny blue silk, brightly reflecting the beautiful sky above. At the podium is Professor Ozpin, a bright smile on his face as he eyes the rows of seats, all filled with his forth years. Not only them though, this Ceremony is very important to the Academies, and it has hosted this day for every single graduate in all four Academies. Students from Atlas, Mistral and Vacuo are here as well, Team A.B.R.N, N.D.G.O, F.N.K.I, B.R.N.Z and many other students are here.

Even Penny’s teammate, Ciel Soleil is here as well, missing her cute and fun little Android Friend. Although she holds herself more like an officer rather than a student, Atlesian to the bone.

Ozpin clears his throat as he taps the microphone, he has recovered since awakening from his coma four years ago, but he still needs to use his cane to get around. But despite everything, he is still the same Headmaster he was before the traumatic events of the Battle of Beacon occurred. And then, after clearing his throat and wetting his lips – he speaks.

"Today is a momentous day. All of you, sitting before me, are here because you wanted to be. You fought, tooth and nail, pen and paper, to get your studies done to your highest levels... And now you receive the fruits of your labours." He gestures to Glynda and Port, smiling softly as they stack the scrolls of parchment, all tied with lovely green silk. Ozpin turns back to face the crowd as a welcoming breeze sweeps over the spectators.

Jaune quickly slaps his hand atop his Mortarboard Cap, keeping the square clothing in place through the breeze. Pyrrha flits her eyes to her side to see him scratching at his collar, under their silky black robes. She tuts and takes his hand from the itchy red blemish, seating it in her lap and grasp.

"Sorry. Just nervous I guess."

"I know." She quietly touches her lips to his hand. "But try not to be. We've done all the hard work. Now we get rewarded for it."

Jaune smiles brightly to her and nods, looking around at the row ahead - seating R.W.B.Y and C.R.D.L. His eyes flit to the row behind, Sun grinning ear to ear besides his fellow teammates. Team C.F.V.Y are also sitting beside S.S.S.N, Coco whispering to Velvet as she snorts into her hand. Jaune can only grin.

They've done it.

They've truly done it.

Ozpin speaks up once more and Jaune snaps to attention.

"When I look at you all, I think of an old Mistral Acclamation: Axios. It means "worthy of" and "deserving of." made by the Deacons themselves to proclaim who deserved what. All of you deserve to be here, deserve to graduate. And never has a smaller group made it through so much - only to be made smaller. After all you have done to protect this school and what it stands for... well, you were all going to graduate no matter what in my books." Ozpin chuckles, stepping back from the microphone, to which the audience erupts into applause.

"So." Ozpin claps, gesturing to the stage and the steps – he will always love this part of the job, seeing the joy and accomplishment on the faces of his students. It truly does make him feel like he is doing the right thing. "Axios?"

"Axios!" The audience replies in a fumbling unison. Ozpin chuckles, nodding to Glynda as she opens a scroll to read. The large holographic display above the stage illuminates with a photo of each called upon student.

"First! Team C.R.D.L! Cardin Winchester!" Glynda calls. Cardin stands, tugging at the creases in his robes. The audience claps and he smiles genuinely, reddening his cheeks as he manoeuvres through the crowd to the path between rows. The applause only dies when he makes it up the steps to Ozpin, shaking his hand and receiving his diploma in the other.

"You've earned it." Ozpin says as Cardin swallows thickly, nodding. He waves to the audience and they cheer, making his way off the stage. One by one C.R.D.L and then C.F.V.Y walk up and receive their diplomas. Eventually even J.S.P.R make their way up, Jaymes gulps, gingerly looking Ozpin in the eye. The Headmaster pats the boy's shoulder with a smile.

"Despite how you started your journey, here you are. You stuck your head down and passed with flying colours." Ozpin sobers. "I'm sorry... about Rouge and Forrest. But I know they are proud of you."

"We all are. And thank you, sir." Jaymes smiles, taking his hand and shaking it. "You won't regret this."

"Wonderful." Ozpin chuckles.

Pyrrha watches the exchange and sighs contently, Jaune fixing her with a confused expression. She shrugs. "Remember after the Vytal Tournament? All that nonsense... All because he wasn't well. And since then, well I mean just look at him. He's lovely to be around and has passed with flying colours!"

"Yeah... " Jaune chuckles, smiling proudly. "He's done a lot. Proved that even people with conditions and disorders can be Huntsmen. Maybe more academies will start letting people with disabilities and stuff join, follow in Beacon's steps."

"That'd be nice." Pyrrha smiles as J.S.P.R exits the stage. Nora blows out a shaky breath beside Jaune, alerting him to her nervously bobbing knees. Pyrrha peers round Jaune with worry in her eyes. "Nora? Are you okay?"

"Y-Yep! Just... really nervous." She stutters, Ren smiling and looping an arm around her, soothing her with his Semblance. "Ah... thanks Renny."

"Always."

Pyrrha squeaks in her seat as Team R.W.B.Y in front of them stand, filing out of the row. Yang gives J.N.P.R a thumbs up on her way out. "Ooh look at them, Jaune! They've done it! I'm so proud of them!"

"Yeah, me too!" Jaune chuckles, watching brightly as Ruby steps up to Ozpin. The Professor smiles softly and holds out his hand, taking Ruby's in his.

"A dusty old Qrow." Ozpin chuckles, Ruby snorting. "Oh, when I first met you, I knew you were going to do great. Call it an old man's instincts."

"Thank you, Professor. For everything." Ruby grins. Ozpin gives her hand a squeeze then hands her the diploma. She takes the scroll with a gasp, wide eyes gawking over it. "I DID IT!"

The audience cheers with her. Next is Weiss, taking hers with a kind curtsy, looking for Winter in the crowd, and there she stands with Eryka also stood there with her arms crossed. Eryka has a bright smile on her face as she looks at her, and Winter applauds her little sister with a bright smile, however, as always with Weiss – she swallows her inner explosive joy unlike Ruby, and she makes her way down the steps. Yang steps up next, grinning widely as she damn near crushes Ozpin's hand, before taking her diploma with a giddy laugh, filing off of the stage. Blake steps up last, smiling softly as she shakes Ozpin's battered hand gently, taking her diploma with a kind exchange, before following Yang off stage.

Next is J.N.P.R.

Finally.

It is there turn.

"Team J.N.P.R!" Glynda calls up. Pyrrha stands with a shaky breath, Jaune chuckling as he too shakes the nerves out of his hands. Nora’s legs are quite literally dancing with anticipation as she rises up. As R.W.B.Y files back into their seats, they give the biggest smiles possible, Ruby throwing the big thumbs up to Jaune. On their way up the long path to the stage, Jaune turns to Pyrrha, taking her hand from in her gown's sleeve. She snaps her eyes to him.

"We did it, okay? We did it." He smiles sweetly, Pyrrha smiling back dreamily as she gives his hand a squeeze. Nora bounces on her toes behind Jaune, Ren almost using up his whole reserve of semblance to keep her calm. Jaune looks at the steps and at Ozpin and Glynda. He blows out a breath and turns to his team. "Wish me luck."

"All the luck in the world." Pyrrha beams. "Now go, go!" Jaune gulps and nods, stepping up and onto the stage, before Ozpin. The Professor of Beacon Academy stands before him, diploma in hand. He smiles and holds it out to Jaune, but as he reaches, he reels it back, Jaune's smile dropping.

"When you joined this academy, you did so under false documents."

"Oh no." Pyrrha gulps. Jaune stammers, sweating. Ozpin smiles, taking Jaune's hand.

"I knew taking you on despite that would be a risk well worth the price. You've excelled, Mr Arc. You've led your team to the brink and back, and their loyalty to you is undying. I am very, very proud to offer this diploma to you."

"I... " Jaune swallows thickly, taking the scroll. "Thank you, sir. So much."

"My pleasure." Ozpin pats his shoulder. Jaune steps around him and to Glynda, who smiles.

"You proved me wrong. Well done Mr Arc. You've earned that." Glynda says. Jaune taps the scroll into his hand, nodding.

"Thank you, Professor."

Pyrrha stands before Ozpin with a shaky breath. Ozpin chuckles, handing her the diploma and shaking her hand. "Congratulations Miss Nikos. You're now an official Huntress." He leans closer. "And you worked wonders with that boy." He motions to Jaune, as he stumbles down the last steps. She giggles and controlls herself.

"Of course, Professor."

"Off you go." Pyrrha walks past him briskly, smiling to Glynda and thanking her, before trotting down the steps to the awaiting Jaune Arc. She feels such relief that he never mentioned about what happened in the Vault, it still lingers in her mind every now and then. But that happened a long time ago now…it’s time to move on and forget. Leave that business to those who are qualified to carry it out. As soon as she is off the stage she gasps in delight and shoves her diploma in Jaune's face with a giggling grin.

"We did it!" She laughs, throwing her arms around his neck. He chuckles and kisses her neck, hugging her tightly. "I graduated, Jaune!"

"Yeah ya did!" Jaune smiles, watching Nora receive hers with a nod and smile. "We did it." Pyrrha lifts her head, and with her arms still wrapped around his neck, she presses her lips to his in a devoted kiss.

"Ahem? Seriously?" Nora scoffs, tapping her foot. Pyrrha and Jaune part the kiss with a wet smack, rubbing the backs of their heads. Nora rolls her eyes and laughs, hugging them both. "We graduated!"

"C'mere you!" Jaune laughs, picking Nora up with Pyrrha as the three hug, the Valkyrie kicking her legs in the air with immense joy as Ren comes down the steps with his diploma in his hand.

 

**Winter**

After the Graduation Ceremony…

Things went back to usual, the Courtyard was cleaned up and returned to normal, classes up and running once more and the Construction Workers adding the finishing touches to the Academy. The city is already finished, and they have done an absolutely marvellous job. Now the Contractors are just hashing out the details on the final works with the Professors. With Ironwood here as well, taking part in the Ceremony earlier, he too is providing plenty of assistance with the conclusion of the rebuilding of Beacon.

However, class still is under way for the younger students, and Winter Schnee – is not a teacher to be trifled with. However, she is free from having to teach a class today, and now is doing something else whilst the students are on break.

Currently Winter is on her inspection of the school grounds, taking mental notes at all the discrepancies she notices. These range from the rusty water coming from the drinking fountain by Port's classroom, a high number of loose cobbles on the pavement - _possible ankle injuries!_ \- and reigning in several public displays of affections.

_Ugh_

Winter wraps her palm on the back of one student's head, leaving him wincing and rubbing the spot. "Please, keep a professional demeanour around campus. Less lip locking. Now get to class."

"Y-Yes Miss!" The pair scuttle off in a glowing haze of blushes.

“Specialist!” She calls out, sighing since nobody ever gets that one right. “Does the rank mean nothing anymore?” Winter scoffs and rolled her eyes, before turning on her heel to trot towards the courtyards. She closes her eyes as she steps out of the C.C.T tower's cool shadow, sunlight lighting her vision glowing red behind her eyelids. She feels the warmth of the sun smooth softly over her pale complexion, the almost deafening cicadas of the afternoon echoing around campus. If she had hay fever, then the current stinging scents of strong pollen would definitely have brought tears to her eyes. To say it is a lovely summers day would be an understatement.

Almost all the students are inside, either in class or eating lunch. Only person out here is, well. Winter huffs.

The subject of her affection.

Eryka is stood in the large grass clearing of the squared courtyard. She is spinning a long cable like a grappling hook, with some sort of big round ball on the end. Winter watches on as Eryka carries on unawares.

As she swings the lure, she quickly steps to the side and moves the spinning cable, just as several hefty pounds of Altum Eagle swoop down and passes Eryka. Dulcis flaps his ginormous wings to climb back up into the blue sky, eclipsing the sun as be banks around.

"Good boy! C'mon!" Eryka calls out, whistling to get the huge bird's attention. He turns sharply and folds his wings back, diving down and grabbing the ball on the end of the lure with a dull thud. The Eagle drops to the floor, talons buried in the leather ball. Eryka chuckles, hands on her hips and a great big smile on her tanned face.

She bends down next to the eagle and removes her jacket, Winter's mouth going dry at the salmon red undershirt clinging to her tight and generous curves. Her arms bulge with muscle as she drapes her jacket over the lure, Dulcis letting go once it is out of sight. He instead turns his gaze to Eryka with several puzzled tilts of his head.

She bundles up the lure and stuffs it in her satchel, before tugging a long lifeless squirrel out and throwing it down in front of Dulcis: his reward. He makes short work of it with his beak and talons. Eryka stands up, the midday light illuminating her thick blue hair into electricity. Then those bright blue eyes flit up to Winter.

"Hey!" She smiles, giving a small wave. Winter blushes but quickly dampens it down, lifting her chin and giving a crisp and curt wave back.

Eryka looks very different now, after four years of being in a committed relationship with Winter Schnee, she has changed her look. She is cleaner, smells fresher and has even changed her hairstyle. Undercut and still as blue as ever with patterned markings shaved into it, but what has changed now is that she has tied it up into a bob at the back, with loose strands of blue hanging over one of her eyes, but not too many. Ironically – similar to Winter’s, but she would never admit she got the style from her.

She looks much better now…happier.

Eryka scoffs and rolls her eyes with a smirk, before bending over to pick up her jacket, Winter's eyes widening and her cheeks flushing bright red. The womanly Vasillias ties the jacket around her waist and swipes her tattooed forearm along her brow. Small scars can be seen across her arms from her battles against Grimm and Bandits back in the Mountains of Mistral where she was trained. That coupled with a thin aura…she has collected more than a few scars.

All comes with the job after all.

Winter gulps and decides it will simply be weird to just stare from afar and then walk off. Instead she throws on her trusty military persona and walks over to the less disciplined woman.

"Hiya, Wints." Eryka says with a heightened voice, wrapping the lure up properly around her hand. Winter watches the motion, so deliberate and smooth. Her hands catch her eye. Just as toffee warm in colour as the rest of her supple skin, but they are ribbed with pale lines of scarring, battered knuckles and hands worn all the way up to where her colourful tattoo sleeves start. She blinks back to her blue eyes.

"Good afternoon. I must inquire... what is it you were just doing with... him?" She gestures to the huge Eagle at Eryka’s side. Eryka blinks, but nods, before putting the rolled-up lure in her pouch.

"It's a thing that Falconers do to keep ‘em fit and stop em from seeing us as solely a source of food." Eryka shrugs, looking down at her Eagle. "Ain't that right, fatty?"

"So... it's exercise? Training?" Winter asks. Eryka gives a warm smile and a nod.

"Yeah, pretty much. Gotta make em earn their food. See, I'm lucky, I've got an aura bond with my Eagle. But some falconers don't, and smaller birds like falcons and kestrels, well they'll stop hunting and flying around once they know that your glove's an easy spot for a free meal, you know?" Eryka bobs her shoulders. "You have to fly them at a certain weight too. He gets weighed every morning, though cos he's bonded to me differently to others, it isn't such a biggie. Doesn't mean I'm not gonna do it properly though."

"Sounds... very complex." Winter says thoughtfully. Eryka scoffs.

"You don't know the half of it." She clicks her tongue and two huge wings flap in front of Winter, startling her for but a moment. The Eagle seats himself gently on her shoulder, though Eryka does hiss at a few stray talon jabs. "Tss! Ow! But yeah... when this big lump sees you as family? Does that happy little flick of his tail? Makes all the hard work and early mornings worth it."

"So... why do you have to fly them at a certain weight?" Winter asks with a curious brow. She is truly enjoying learning, from Eryka of all people! Winter had rarely asked about how Dulcis and Eryka bonded, and how the training of Altum Eagles worked. She merely assumed it was a trade secret Mistraalian Falconers had, but clearly that is not the case. Maybe she isn’t as ditsy as she lets on. Eryka chuckles, lifting her hand to massage the plumage on Dulcis' belly. His head snaps down and his beak gently closes playfully around her fingers.

"Cos when you're flying them, you pop em on your glove, send them off to a tree or fence post or something. Then you place a small tad bit of food on your glove and call them back. They come back for the food, not you. Soooo... if they're big and full..."

"Ahhh." Winter nods with a curt chuckle. "They won't come back for the food."

"Exactly. The number of Falconers I know who say _I dunno what went wrong! I gave him four chicks and two rabbits, then he didn't wanna fly back!_ Err, it's because he's a genius and you're a dumbass!" Eryka chuckles heartily, shaking her head. She sobers suddenly "So yeah. I-I'm sorry, you're probably busy, here I am chatting your ear off."

"No, not at all, I asked." Winter smiles lightly. "It's... interesting. I'd never met a Falconer before you. The closest I got to these creatures was in books. It's... quite astonishing to see one in person." Winter looks at the Eagle as he scans the distance, those big amber eyes flitting left and right.

"Yeaaaah, look at him, he knows he's gorgeous, posing for you and all." Eryka scoffs, scratching his belly to get the Eagle's attention. "Ain'cha? Handsome man who knows he is!"

Winter chuckles lightly, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Eryka looks back to Winter and the pair holds one another's gaze for a while, before they both blush and look to the side, Winter lifting her chin and curtly tucking her hands behind her back.

"Well. It has been-"

"You wanna hold him?"

"I beg your pardon?" Winter splutters. Eryka shrugs.

"Well, it’s just you said you've never seen an Eagle in person, sooo... wanna hold him?" Eryka beams. Winter scoffs.

"I-I couldn't- It wouldn't be-"

"C'mon, he doesn’t bite. He's all talk, ain’t ya?" Eryka smiles at her beloved Eagle. Winter chews her lip, before checking her pocket watch. She tucks it away and finds she really has nowhere to be for once. The last class she had that took place after the Ceremony finished, now she has nothing left for the rest of the day. So, with a shaky breath, she gives Eryka a sharp nod.

"Very well. What... umm... what do I need to do?"

"Nothin!" Eryka says, clicking her tongue twice, Dulcis dismounting and flapping safely down to the ground. "It's honestly super easy."

"For you, I may add." Winter scoffs as Eryka fishes her spare glove out from her pack.

"Well, yeah... but it's no biggie, I know he looks ma-hoo-sive, but he weighs like a bag of sugar or something. Maybe more after all those squirrels, huh chubs?" Eryka hollers to the Eagle as he paces about on the grass. She stands up and Winter tears her eyes off Eryka's captivating legs. The blue haired woman steps closer, into Winter's personal space and begins to slide the thick and padded glove over her hand.

"You a southpaw?" Eryka grins while she tightens the straps. Winter blinks at her.

"Am I a what?"

"A lefty or a righty?" Eryka says hotly. Winter gulps, she always acts so formal and stoic most of the time…around Eryka…she acts more like a shy teenage girl.

"Why, dare I ask?"

"Ahh, you don't get as pale as the kids do when I use that on em." Eryka snickers, turning to Winter with a huff, almost nose to nose. "There. All ready."

"I... I see." Winter lifts her chin. Eryka smirks and raises a brow. "Very well."

"Uh huh. C'mere Dulcis!" She whistles, the huge bird flapping his massive wingspan up onto Eryka's bare hand. One huge foot curled around her wrist, making it look thin! His other coiled around three of her fingers. His wings stay out to balance himself while Eryka gently transfers him to Winter's glove. "There ya go!"

Winter stares wide-eyed at the huge bird standing on her arm. She marvels in the weight, the sheer proximity. He begins grooming his feathers, ruffling them about. She is absolutely captivated by the stunning animal, the many beautiful colours, the stripes in his legs and the bright amber eyes that always look so focused. Eryka gently lifts Winter's lowering arm back up to straight.

"There ya go." She says softly, Winter gulping and nodding.

"O-Of course."

"You don't have to put the act on for me." Eryka says gently, Winter fixing her with a searching gaze. Eryka locks eyes with her, shrugging. "What's it like?"

"Incredible." Winter blurts, smiling brightly as she looks at the bird on her arm. Eryka smiles.

"Yeah, he is something, isn't he?"

"You've done tremendous work with him." Winter says, earning a confused stare. "He isn't like this because of nature. He's like this because you raised him, taught him. Signs of a good teacher."

"Mmm, well... guess Weiss is proof you're a stellar teacher too." Eryka smiles lightly. Winter huffs, sobering slightly.

"I... must apologise."

"What for?" Eryka asks. Winter blinks but carries on.

"I was wrong. I judged you early on. Thought you a fool, someone off gallivanting for fun. I was wrong. You're actually a very strong capable fighter, and a very respectable falconer and huntress."

"Ahh, don't mention it." Eryka brushes her off, massaging the tremble out of her quivering fist. "S'okay. I-I'm not a Huntress so you weren't wrong."

"Not officially, but you can track prey for miles. And you fight hard when relied on. That's respectable." Winter smiles. Eryka chuckles.

"Thanks, Wints. And uhh, I can tell this is not your strong suit, so I appreciate it."

"Thank you." Winter scoffs, lifting a hand to Dulcis, her fingers sinking into the soft plumage. She smiles.

"I was wrong about you too." Eryka huffs, gaining Winter's eye. "I thought you were this uptight, know-it-all. Turns out you can be pretty nice company."

"Mmm, you weren't far off with that assumption." Winter chuckles Eryka snorting.

"Holy shit, she makes jokes?!" Eryka giggles, Winter rolling her eyes despite her own smile. "D-Don't worry, won't breathe a word."

"Good." Winter says, sobering. "As lovely as this Eagle is to hold and admire, I do have rounds to continue."

"Yeah, no probs." Eryka takes Dulcis onto her shoulder and removes the glove. "So, he's good in your books?"

"Very. A true huntsman of nature’s making."

"Oooh, those are bold and praising words, huh Dulcis? We better not tell her about the ferret you missed cos it outsmarted you, right?" Eryka winks at Winter as Dulcis cries out loudly into her ear in protest. "Oh, he dived in the hedgerow, did he? Must'a missed that bit!" The two bicker, Winter snickering lightly behind her palm.

“Thank you, Eryka…” Winter kindly says to her.

“My pleasure…say…what time do you finish your rounds?” Eryka inquires. “I’ve finished my stuff for the day.”

Winter checks her watch. “Um…around six.”

“What’s the time now?” Eryka asks.

“Three.”

“Alright, I’ll go get him back to my apartment so then he can get some shut-eye. As for you and I…wanna have dinner? On me.” Eryka suggests with a smile, and Winter smiles back.

“That sounds nice.”

 

**Eryka**

Six O’clock.

The sun is beginning to set now and most of the students have returned back to their dorms to hang out until it is sleeping hours. However, the Graduates are out celebrating their graduation, Team S.S.S.N and C.R.D.L have challenged each other to a drinking competition which can only end in chaos knowing them. Team R.W.B.Y and J.N.P.R however have just been going out and having fun together. Eryka and Winter though have decided to continue building on their relationship together even further as they previously agreed.

And as always…

Winter is the one that showed up first – even though it was Eryka who invited her. She stands outside the Restaurant – known as _VNU_. She taps her finger against her arm as she stands there, wearing a pretty white dress as she always done, nice makeup on her face as well. With fresh perfume scented on her body and a faint blue eyeshadow. She has her white handbag resting on her shoulder as well, and her hair still in the same cut and style as she always has it. Her attention turns when she sees her girlfriend approaching her, walking with her blue dress on, her hair cleaned especially for this and also with some very attractive makeup and perfume.

Eryka smiles when she sees Winter standing there. “Can you wear anything but white? Why not pea green?” She asks her.

“Doesn’t suit me right. And I get a lot of congratulations from people assuming I’m getting married.” Winter jokes, making Eryka chuckle.

“Well, you look great, Wints.” Eryka says as she kisses her gently on the lips, and Winter returns the favour.

“Not too bad yourself.” Winter says back, and Eryka looks at the entrance and she clicks her tongue like she would to her Eagle.

“C’mon, already booked our spot.” She says, and Winter rolls her eyes.

“I was here first.” She whispers softly, luckily either Eryka didn’t hear or just didn’t come up with a counter fast enough. As they open the door the bell dings and they see the waiter at the front with a smile on his face. His head shaved and his hands held together with a well-spoken voice.

“Ah hello, we’ve been waiting for you. Please, follow me.” The Waiter says, as he guides the two of them. They both enter the conditioned restaurant, where there are a few people inside conversing. With the beautiful smell of Mistraalian Cuisine, from Spaghetti to Curries and countless other varieties of delicious food, it is already making Winter rather hungry to imagine how it must taste.

The walls of the Restaurant are a welcoming red and beige with countless stunning paintings, some of them even oil, of the Mistraalian Landscape. The vast mountains and the beautiful grasslands that stretch out for miles. The Haunting Forests that must house countless Grimm, and the stunning City of Mistral. A wonderful sight, one of the many wonders of Remnant in fact. There are even some pieces on the walls of other locations – such as Lake Matsu – with its beautiful and almost alien floating mountains. Not the first time Winter has seen them, and every single time they have ever come here it has followed with intense battles against Grimm.

The Waiter guides them to their seat, and he sets down some napkins. They both take their seats on the warm chairs and he holds his hands behind his back with that smile plastered across his face. “If you would like to look through your menus, I will return to you shortly.” The Waiter says.

“Thank you.” Winter says with a smile, and Eryka looks around at the place.

“This is nice, huh?” She asks her.

“It really is…I’m surprised.” Winter chuckles.

“Well you know, four years…bit of a milestone huh?” Eryka says as she shrugs her shoulders.

“I know…feels like it’s been longer than that though.” Winter sighs as she massages her brow, and Eryka chuckles as she leans forward.

“Alright, spill it Schnee.” Eryka says as she looks right at her eyes. Winter groans, looking at her.

“Let’s figure out what we’re having first, then I’ll tell.” She says, and Eryka sighs as she lowers her head sadly.

“You’re killing me, Wints.” Eryka complains as she opens her menu up, and they sift through the many things that are on offer. And for the quality of the food here the prices are not too bad, highest prices ranging around twenty lien and the cheapest being five. The occasional sound of cutlery clinking and scraping inside, and the smell of food really does set the mood for a romantic date like this. As they decide, they close up their menus, and when the Waiter arrives, they tell him.

“I will have the Curry please.” Winter requests, and Eryka says hers.

“Spaghetti Bolognese please.” Eryka says, and the Waiter notes them down and he chuckles.

“Excellent choice, ladies. I will return in a bit.” The Waiter says as he collects their menus and he walks away from them. Eryka leans across the table and she lifts one of her brows in utter curiosity to know more about this story.

“Alright…what happened? Stupid kid at class?” Eryka inquires with a form of exhilaration on her mind.

“Nothing too extreme, just…infuriating. One kid thought he would be funny to blare music out of his scroll every time I spoke.” She sighs as she massages her brow and the bridge of her nose, still able to hear that annoying tune.

“Oh gods…did you make him regret it?” Eryka asks.

“Well his hand will probably be bruised for the next few weeks.” Winter states, gesturing the action she uses with her crop to smack a naughty student’s hand. The sound erupts in Eryka’s imagination and she instinctively pulls her hand back.

“Ouch…I now how badly those things hurt.” Eryka chuckles.

“You had it coming.” Winter chuckles as she sips some of her champagne from her glass.

“Hardly, I sneezed.” Eryka defends.

“Yeah, but as loud as a Goliath.” Winter adds, and Eryka shrugs her shoulders and she leans back in her chair with her glass in her hand.

“What can I say? It’s just my way, Wints.” She says, for Eryka Vasillias is the most unladylike individual she has ever met – more so than Yang Xiao Long or Ruby Rose. But only by a little bit.

“What about you? Fun day?” Winter inquires.

“Yeah, my lessons for teaching Falconry at Beacon were accepted finally.” Eryka confirms, and Winter nods her head.

“I heard about this. Ironwood mentioned it to me this morning. How did the first lesson go?” Winter inquires curiously, and Eryka smiles.

“Really well. I mean we haven’t got any Birds yet, the kids won’t start with Altum Eagles, probably some Harris Hawks or something simple to start with. Altum Eagles also can only be trained in the mountains…it’s a spiritual thing my Mentor taught me.” Eryka explains with the shrug of her shoulders.

“I can’t imagine living up in the Mountains is particularly…fun.” Winter comments as she pictures it – it must be a beautiful place to live, but considering how dangerous it must be with all the deadly Mountain Grimm that lurk up there and how cold it is…

“You’d be surprised…I mean most of the time I just meditated up there. It’s what I spent most my time doing, y’know? Got me out of the Pit Fighting, helped me cool off that anger I had.” Eryka explains as she circles the rim of her glass, glancing back to Winter, and she nods her head.

“So are Harris Hawks the same to teach as an Altum Eagle?” Winter inquires.

“Nah, way easier. Less of a bond though, the only thing Harris Hawks are interested in is the food you have. Run out of that and he won’t listen to you. Altum Eagles…they’re a bit like dogs. Cleverer than puppies, but they actually care for you as long as you care for it.” Eryka explains, and Winter nods her head, understanding what she means.

“That’s interesting, I assumed all birds were the same.” Winter says, and Eryka chuckles.

“Oh no, certain birds are angry all the time. Some need to be reared from birth, others shouldn’t due to adolescence problems. Eagles are for hunting, Owls aren’t.”

“Why not?”

“Owls just eat whatever they catch immediately. Chubby things, I remember watching a kid trying to hunt a rabbit with his Owl. Didn’t even have a clump of fur left to bring back to the Summit.” Eryka chuckles, and Winter giggles as well.

“Gods, reminds me of a private I was training one time. Not the same kind of thing, but I was trying to teach him to how to use his aura.” Winter begins to explain and Eryka listens to every word she says. “I remember telling him over and over again, focus…just focus your energy into a barrier. But he kept trying literally create a shield with his hand…thought it would stop the wind cannon.”

“Did it?” Eryka asks.

“Nope, he ended up around ten feet away from the cannon.” Winter chuckles.

“Did he figure it out in the end?” Eryka inquires.

“Yeah, after about sixteen tries, first fifteen he just kept doing the same thing over and over and over again…” Winter groans as she presses her hands to her head as she sits there. “Man…Glynda wasn’t kidding…I’d rather face the Black Smog than teach.” She chuckles, making Eryka chuckle as well.

The fact they can make jokes about the terrifying Horde of Grimm really does show how far they have come from those terrifying days.

Then…their food arrives.

They spent their time together for a few hours in this restaurant, talking and eating, drinking…maybe a little too much as well. At the end they both emerge from the Restaurant with a glint of drunkenness in their eyes, but not blind drunk. More…giggly drunk.

“So…Whaddya wanna do now?” Eryka asks her.

Around half an hour later…

The two of them are both left panting with exhilaration, heated and naked in bed, in each other’s embrace after making love to one another, hair dishevelled and Eryka chuckles.

“Well…that went better than expected.”

 

**Ironwood**

With the Fractured Moon watching over them at all times…

Ironwood and Glynda walk around the now lonely Courtyard, cleaned up after the Graduation Ceremony was all said and done. They both look around at the place as Ironwood finishes his conversation with the head constructor. “So, this is all good?” The constructor inquires as he holds his clipboard in his hand.

“Yes, thank you. I will send over the Lien to your business account as soon as I can.” Ironwood promises and the Contractor taps his clipboard and nods his head as he walks away from the General. James turns and he looks at Glynda as she looks around at the Academy, now completely repaired. It does not look like there was an attack here at all, she looks back to Ironwood and she smiles, holding his hands as she looks up at him. “You did it, Glynda.” James says to her, and she softly chuckles.

“ _We_ did, James. You were by my side throughout the whole thing when the Smog were watching us…and when Killian was here.” Glynda states as she looks up at his eyes.

“If it weren’t for your trust in your students though…I dunno if they could have made it to this day. That’s because of you.” He assures as he caresses her cheek with a gentle smile. As they stand there with the moonlight shining upon them, one of the workers accidentally bumps past Glynda and she turns, apologising, but he does so first.

“Sorry, Professor.” The Worker says, and Glynda smiles, and she glances down to the Sub Machine Gun she saw for a split-second inside of his bag. Her eyes focus on the man as he walks away and she narrows her gaze, unaware of Ironwood walking round her and staring at something.

“Glynda?” Ironwood softly says with concern in his voice, and she turns, seeing the very thing that is approaching them. Passing by the four other stationary Atlesian Knights…is another one, but it is acting extremely bizarre, erratically even.

The Atlesian Knight drunkenly limps towards them, its screen on its face flickering into the screen of a smiley face – like an emoji actually – and there is quite a terrifying little girl’s laughing voice coming out of the machine. The voice is deformed, crackling and about to shatter with every word that comes out of its mouth. “What the hell?” Glynda softly says with disbelief as she stares at the Atlesian Knight – they purged them of the Black Queen Virus and upgraded them to make them immune…but they have never seen a glitch like this before.

“Knight, stand down.” Ironwood commands as he glares at the machine, and then it stops before him. Glynda stands behind Ironwood with concern in her eyes as she stares at the machine.

Then…the face turns red, but it still smiles as the little girl speaks so sweetly.

“Red Means Stop.” The Robot tells him, and Ironwood raises a brow.

Then the face turns amber. “Yellow means get ready!”

Then it turns green.

“Green means go!”

Then the Atlesian Knight erupts into a massive explosion that engulfs both Glynda and Ironwood, throwing the Professor back, fatally wounding her as she crashes against the wall, the sound of multiple bones breaking in the process. Fire spreads like the plague and gunfire erupts around the entire Academy from a terrifying ambush that has been set up.

Laying in the flames, blown to pieces from the explosion…blood everywhere…he is hardly even alive. When Ironwood hears the sound of a bird cawing through the gunfire and seeing it glide through the smoke.

It’s a Jackdaw.

As the Jackdaw glides through the thick black smoke from the explosion, he sees a silhouette emerging from the place of which it vanished. Standing tall with broad shoulders and a top hat on his head, eyes glowing bright red. Ironwood splutters as he lays there, in the ashes and the molten steel of the robot that just blew him apart. The man approaches and stands above him, crouching down to reveal his sadistic smile, red eyes and curved black moustache. “Oh James…how the Tin Man has fallen.” The man snarls, before a blade extends from his long-shredded sleeve, and he slowly pushes the blade through his heart, making him cough up blood in agony as he twists it with a cruel and pure evil smile.

“But it’s not you I’m after, General. It’s the Scarecrow…don’t take it personally. Just remember…Jack the Ripper has returned, and he’s coming for

his little brother.” He whispers, as he twists the extended blade in his heart, and watches as the light leaves Ironwood’s eyes.

 

**Jack the Ripper**

Inside of the Cafeteria…

The explosion rattles the whole building, and everyone has fled, and the power has gone out as well, leaving them all in total darkness. The only ones who remain inside of the Food Hall are four Graduates of Beacon – Yatsuhashi, Ciel, Reese and Brawnz. They all get up and they draw their weapons, Ciel aims her rifle as they look around, hearing the flapping of bird wings in the darkness.

Terror fills their hearts as they hear a loud bang reverberate inside of the building, and Yatsuhashi holds his sword tight as they all look around, and Ciel walks forward with her rifle held up. “Hello?” Ciel calls out, which is when his massive cybernetic hand suddenly emerges from the shadows, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off the floor, in front of all of them. He towers above them all, somehow, he is bigger than Yatsuhashi, the biggest student of them all. Ciel writhes in his grasp, but then there is a horrific crunch as he crushes her throat in one squeeze, spinal column and all.

Her body stops wiggling, and she just hangs from his grasp, silenced and murdered in a single second. He throws her body directly at Reese and knocks her onto the ground, crashing through the table. Yatsuhashi and Brawnz yell with rage as they charge forward, the Huntsman from Vacuo jumps up with his clawed Gauntlets in his hands, and he swings straight at him.

Jack the Ripper dodges his swing and he kicks him right across the jaw, knocking the young man down and Yatsuhashi immediately swings towards his enemy with a powerful roar. The impact sends cracks through the ground as he bellows. But Jack the Ripper punches Yatsuhashi so hard across the face it sends him flying back and he crashes down onto the ground. Reese gets up and she flies towards him on her hoverboard, but as she approaches, he aims his fist at her, and a long barrel extends from some kind of dust that is ejected from his metal arm. It forms and he fires a round that knocks her out of the air and detonates the dust fuel cells inside of the Board. It explodes and instantly breaks her aura, sending her plummeting and crashing down into the ground with a sudden and hard impact.

Brawnz and Yatsuhashi both leap towards the killer, but he unexpectedly forms up to four blades that extend from each arm like feathers, and he slashes them across their aura protected bodies. One blade on its own can deal some deadly damage to aura, but four on each arm, hitting at once? That is something else entirely, and he slashes and slashes repeatedly, keeping Brawnz up in the air, before he swings his boot downwards and pins him down by the throat. He drives the blades straight through his throat and he gasps in agony, blood splattering from his mouth and across his face, killing him slowly.

Yatsuhashi staggers in pain as he swings his sword with all his might at the man, but he catches the blade in his huge metal hand, stopping it so hard that it sends a shockwave across the ground. He then rips the massive sword from his hands, the other grabbing his shoulder pauldron and crushing it down to the point of which it brings him to his knees, breaking his aura first. Yatsuhashi howls in agony as he feels his own beloved Sword stab straight through him, blood pouring out and falling onto the floor.

Yatsuhashi stares at Jack the Ripper in fear, as the bladed feathers extend from his arm once more, his fist clenched. Yatsuhashi growls with defiant rage, grabbing the sword with both hands and slowly pulling it out from his own chest. He pushes his knee against the ground to rise up, but Jack the Ripper puts his defiance to an end as he suddenly launches the blades like bullets as he swings his arm. Like Fatal Feathers that shoot out and plunge straight through him and the armour, carrying him across the Cafeteria and pinning him to the wall, blood pouring down the repaired bricks.

Reese remains on the ground, stammering with horror, her eyes wide as her aura crackles. Jack the Ripper chuckles sinisterly as he walks towards her. He crouches down behind her and he whispers. “Don’t be afraid, little one…not every duckling lives to adulthood…tis just the way of nature.” He softly says as his arms form a blade and he presses it to her throat and slowly slices straight through, carving her neck open as she jolts in agony as her blood sprays from her. Her body goes limp, and she slumps to the floor face first, her blood pooling across the dark room.

Jack the Ripper rises up and he chuckles as he straightens his top hat on his head. “If this doesn’t draw him out, I dunno what will.” He chuckles as he leaves the four dead Graduated Huntsmen and Huntresses behind, butchered like cattle – like it all meant nothing to him. He walks out into the moonlight, revealing himself fully with that mad smirk on his face, the black moustache fashioned atop his lip and a scar over one eye.

Flames and smoke rise high above the courtyard, and Glynda lays on the ground, covered in blood from her fatal wounds from the shrapnel. He then turns his attention to some Huntsman on the roof of the Dormitory Block.

Jaymes and Peony.

Jaymes crouches on the pitch of the roof, his knee cracking a shingle under the weight. He peers over at the fire and jet-black smoke pluming up from the courtyard, high into the pitch-black sky. He swallows thickly and flicks his wrist, his gauntlets folding around his hands with a crackle.

"What's it looking like? Down there?" Peony asks, startling him. She touches his shoulder with a sympathetic smile, and he chuckles, swiping his brow.

"Made me jump heh."

"Yeah, I have that effect on people babe." She scoffs, sobering suddenly to look down at the chaos and screaming alarms. "Now, what're we looking at?"

"It's carnage down there, Pea." He licks his chapped lips. The corner of his eye just catches the silhouette of another student clambering up onto the roof to join them. He focuses on Peony. "People think it's a terror attack."

"Well it ain't Grimm. This feels more coordinated." She huffs. The silhouette draws Jaymes' attention at the sharp swing of its wrist.

It isn’t a student.

Her blood is warm as it sprays over his face, long metal feathers pinning her body to the chimney stack with a bang of punctured flesh and shattered brick. He blinks at how lifeless she has become in less than a second. She doesn’t look the same, so... empty? Like what made her…her…was gone. On instinct he licks his lips to the wetness, the taste of copper on his tongue.

"Hey kiddo! You wouldn't happen to have seen my baby bro anywhere would ya?" The assailant looks up from under the brim of his top hat, handlebar moustached grin curling. Jaymes swipes his shaking wrist across his face, smearing Peony's blood along his features. He yells and launches his electrical whips at the Ripper.

Bright blue and purple light crackle towards him, his huge mechanical fists raising to catch the lengths of energy. Robotic fingers spasm at the charge, before wrapping them around his wrist, tugging and reeling Jaymes down the sloped roof, straight into his grip.

Mechanical fingers tighten around his fist, crushing his Gauntlets, squashing the steel to crush bone and trap his hands. Jaymes screams as the energy whips dissipate, freeing the Ripper's hands to grasp a handful of hair and drag the boy up the pitch of the roof.

"I tell ya, the things I have to do to get his attention. Blow up a school staple kids to walls. Crazy."

"Lemme go!" Jaymes cries, grinding to a halt as the Ripper reaches the top of the roof, staring out over the burning courtyard. He grins at his handy work, enjoying the rattle of gunfire within the smoke. Jaymes, no longer being dragged, looks up, taking in the man's arms. They are intricate metal, pistons within and long rails with needles running up and down their length repeatedly. They begin to print the tips of the fatal feathers, getting longer with each pass, back and forth, lengthening them till they feed through the slits and holes in his tattered sleeves.

It isn’t dust…he has 3-D Printers built into his cybernetic arms, meaning he can forge as many blades as he wants, and in any form.

"Is that..." The Ripper grins widely at the single small black bird flapping towards the school. "Oooh please be."

"Let me go!"

"Soon boy." He cackles as the crow soars towards the jet-black smoke. The feathers along his arms print to full fifteen-inch lengths. "C'mon, c'mon."

Suddenly Qrow erupts through the smoke, hand outstretching and the most furious, rage induced look on his face, the likes of which no one has ever seen.

"JACKDAW!"

 

 


	3. Jackdaw Branwen

**Ozpin**

Moments before the attack…

The Headmaster of the Academy is sat in his office with a heavy sigh, just wanting to go to sleep with midnight tolling and the moon up in the sky. Beneath him in the courtyard are Glynda and Ironwood, completely unaware of what is about to happen. As Ozpin sits there, the holographic projections of the Councillors are seen, their hands sat on their laps as they speak with him. “Professor, I need an answer.” The Valerian Councilwoman says to him as she has her leg crossed over the other, her belly no longer swollen from pregnancy.

“And as I have repeated about six times now…I cannot give you one.” Ozpin sighs, and the Councillors all roll their eyes.

“Professor, the people are voting against you in this cause. The Huntsmen Academies have been facing extreme scrutiny after the events of the Vytal Festival. And even before that.” The Mistraalian Councillor says as she shrugs his shoulders, before crossing his arms once again. The Atlesian Councillor has his hands tucked firmly into his suit pockets, whereas the Vacuo Councillor – does not look like he is interested in the slightest. His legs crossed and splayed onto his table as he checks his scroll for updates.

Yawning occasionally. “The events of the Vytal Festival were a tragedy, not ammunition for a man’s cause.”

“This has nothing to do with Killian.” The Valerian Councilwoman states as she narrows her blue eyes at him.

“Does it not? Oh, forgive me, it’s just so interesting that suddenly everyone has started questioning the Academies ever since he dropped in and manipulated a Schizophrenic Student.” Ozpin reminds, and the Councillors all fall silent. “Or have you all forgotten that?”

“I’m sorry, Headmaster. But with no hard evidence to back these claims, your words are null and void. And at the end of the day, you have quite the track record of keeping secrets from the people and the council.” The Atlesian Councillor explains, and the Vacuo Councillor finally chimes in.

“Don’t even get me started with the whole Fall Maiden Business. You should have informed us on the fact you had a Maiden under there. She should have been in Black Gallows custody.” The Vacuo Councillor states, and Ozpin scoffs and shakes his head at how this is the first thing he has said during the entire meeting with them.

“Welcome to the conversation.” Ozpin says, and he raises his brow in return at the Headmaster.

“Stop deflecting, Ozpin. You know he is right.”

“The Black Gallows? You mean in the custody of a man who wants to control the Huntsmen and Huntresses? Who is to say he won’t control her and use her?” Ozpin questions, but then the Valerian Councilwoman drops the hard words.

“She is dead, because of you, Ozpin.” She harshly tells him, and he stops, staring at her.

“If you had turned her over to Killian, had her incarcerated to the safety of the Black Gallows – Cinder Fall would have never located her. She would have been safe there; her power would have been safe there.” The Mistraalian Councillor explains, staring at the Headmaster, who just shakes his head.

“It’s easy to tell me what I _should_ have done…I did what I thought was right at the time.” Ozpin explains as he clenches his fist, staring at the Four Politicians.

“And how many innocents died because you did what you _thought_ was right?” The Atlesian Councillor grills, and Ozpin stares him right in the eyes, with an anger that is actually quite worrying. The Councillors lean back, and the Valerian Councilwoman says the words.

“Sign the Agreement, Ozpin. It is the right move.” She tells him, which is when suddenly there is a massive explosion from outside, and the Headmaster turns his head suddenly. He rushes to the window, as the thick plumes of jet-black smoke rise up into the sky after the explosion. Hearing the gunfire from the people they once called friends, screams and terrified phone calls echoing everywhere. The feed to the Four Councillors is cut off from the blast, leaving Ozpin alone.

He quickly picks his Cane up and he sprints the elevator to get down there as fast as he can.

As the Jackdaw Glides down from the sky, towards the smoke.

**Qrow**

“JACKDAAAAW!”

"Here we go!" He launches Jaymes aside, the mechanical gears in his arm thrusting the young man like a toy, causing Jaymes to crash down into the tiles with a yelp. "C'mon QROW!" Jackdaw howls, extending the bladed feathers from his 3-D Printers in his cybernetic arms.

Qrow slams into Jackdaw, hand round his throat as they shoot down the sloping hill of tiles, shingles shattering around their bodies as Qrow keeps his older brother's head scraping across the breaking clay. Jackdaw laughs though, despite feeling everything, his dark red aura crackling as the shingles cut into him, aura repairing every small blemish, one of his bigger mechanical hands grabbing the whole of Qrow's face and flipping them both over, holding Qrow's head down under the breaking tiles in turn.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! 

The tiles and their wooden beams explode against their tenements as they cut a swath down the roof, before eventually falling off the edge and into the courtyard below. Qrow crashes down into the ground, and Jackdaw lands on his boots, his huge dark jacket flapping from the shockwave of wind from his body slamming down. Cracks rupturing across the cobblestone as he rises back up, and he cracks his neck with a smirk.

"Hey Qrow." Qrow sits up, swiping the blood off his lip and picking up his discarded sword. He grips onto the hilt of Harbinger, glaring at his monstrous Brother as he approaches him. "Still a runt or ya grown some?" He hears from the jet-black smoke all around him. He turns at the sound of a mechanical swish, lifting his blade to deflect the incoming sharpened blades, sparks showering off his sword. Jackdaw leaps out of the smoke, laughing maniacally as he swings his fist down, three feathers scraping against Qrow's raised sword.

The two clash back and forth in the choking smog, Jackdaw sidestepping to avoid a beheading swing, jettisoning a feather from his forearm to spin in the air, catching it in his grasp and using it as a sword to combat Qrow's quick and violent fighting style. Quick frightening parries between the two, and Qrow leaps up and kicks Jackdaw square in the jaw, sending him flying back into the opaque smoke.

Qrow is damn near choking to death, turning to a bird and flying up into the clear air, as a smaller Jackdaw flies up out of the smoke and smacks into the crow, two black birds tumbling through the air, shifting back to human forms while falling, fists landing with harsh cracks, sending the other somersaulting to the ground below.

"Still a runt!" Jackdaw cackles, planting his boot on Qrow's chest and kicking him down into the concrete. Sat in his crater, blood red aura buzzing around his aching limbs, said boot presses down on his throat. Jackdaw grins down at him, resting his weight on that boot as he kneels, mechanised wrists resting over the knee. "Well lookie at you." Qrow seethes, saliva bubbling round his gritted teeth as he claws at the boot on his chest, like a rabid dog. "Not quite the small boy I remember. Still the runt of the litter though."

"Die!" Qrow yells, tears in his furious gaze. Jackdaw huffs, tilting his head.

"Now Qrow, is that really what you say to your brother, who you ain't seen in years?" Jackdaw forms a small feather, taking it from his forearm to pick the food from between his teeth. "Where's the hospitality?"

He presses down on the boot and Qrow groans as Jackdaw leaned down. "I even show up here to surprise said baby brother, and, where is he? Not here? Well... that's disappointing. You know how many kids I had to kill to pass the time till you got here? Gotta be at least twenty."

"ARGH! I'LL RIP YOUR THROAT OUT!"

"And don't get me started on the staff. That bomb went off... " Jackdaw chuckles. "Man, RIGHT in Ironwood's face! BOOM! Even a tin man like that ain't walkin’ away."

"ARGHHH!" Qrow screams helplessly, all that rage only able to come out as a trembling roar. Jackdaw picks his teeth and licks them clean, flicking the metal pick aside.

"Where's Raven? Baby sis not here?"

"OF-Argh-COURSE SHE ISN'T! Qrow grabs the boot and tries to lift it off, to no avail. All of Jackdaw's heavy weight is upon him. Red eyes flit to the side with a heavy sigh.

"Nah. She'll be with the tribe, won't she? Could never turn her back on our old ways, but you? You really tried to reinvent yaself, didn't ya?" He grins sinisterly down at his younger brother.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU HEAR ME!" Qrow spits, teeth grits. "F-For what you-Argh!"

"Mmm..." Jackdaw swiping his thumb along his nose. "She really rubbed off on you, didn't she? And Raven, well she's got you to be her lil puppeteer, ain't she? Just pulling the strings on her lies, making em dance in those kid's eyes." Qrow stares at him, panting. "She's got a kid. Had. Had a kid, didn't she?"

"Don't... you... dare."

"Yeah. Your niece. Well, Nieces. Raven had one too, didn't she? See! All these years I don't see ya, and she gets down and dirty!" Jackdaw scoffs. "Can't wait to meet em. Tell em all about her real mother, the real Raven. Does Summer's kid know about the real you? Did Summer?"

"They…know enough!” Qrow yells with anger up at his older brother.

"Wow, you've actually started believing your own bullshit! Pulling those strings again, huh Qrow? Pathological ain't ya." Jackdaw scoffs, shaking his head.

A rage controls Qrow, but enough where he focused that anger and yells with fury, grabbing onto Harbinger and slashing it straight into Jackdaw’s leg, causing him to tumble off his brother and crash down to the ground. Qrow swings downwards towards his head, only for the sword to stab down into the ground with great force, spreading cracks through the ground. Jackdaw rolls back as he gets up and he extends more blades with a smirk on his face. “There it is…the rage…c’mon baby bird! Show me where that Bandit has been hiding!” Jackdaw challenges with a bellowing voice, and Qrow lunges straight towards him.

Their blades impact, gritted teeth facing one another, red irises reflecting back at their gazes. Qrow grits his teeth harder and harder as he grates the huge blade of Harbinger against his many bladed feathers. Sparks burst from the grating blades as Jackdaw smiles maniacally down at his brother, before Qrow slashes upwards, across Jackdaw’s face, leaving a deep slash wound only to fade away thanks to his aura. He bounces back but lands on his feet, sliding across the ground and extending his blades further, launching them with the swing of his fist.

The blades blast from his arm, twisting through the air as the lunar light reflects off the serrated edges of his blades. Qrow’s eyes widen, and he jumps in the air, corkscrewing into his Crow Form, dodging the blades as they soar past him. As he passes them by, he shifts back into the real human form he has, slamming Harbinger downwards at him, only for Jackdaw to block his strike, and kick him in his chest. Jackdaw blasts forward and slashes his blades repeatedly at him, four blades on each arm, and Qrow backs up, using his sword to stop his many blades from impacting his aura protected body.

The issue is, with so many blades hitting his sword in ever single swing his brother makes, it makes him stumble, his arm dropping down from the weight of those blades crashing into him. Qrow grunts, before Jackdaw swings upwards, launching Qrow up into the air. He leaps up into the air, the thrusters he has in his boots giving him increased height in his jump. He swings round and kicks him down towards the ground, and he crashes into the ground. Qrow groans in pain as he hits the ground like that, he lifts his head and gasps as Jackdaw lands in front of him, extending the long barrels of those powerful machine guns he prints from his arms. He blasts the artificially forged bullets towards his foe before him, and Qrow dashes out of the way, behind a wooden crate of supplies.

As he waits for the gunfire to pass, Jackdaw suddenly blasts forward and slashes straight through the crate, blowing it to smithereens. The madman slides across the ground with his gritted smile printed constantly underneath that handlebar moustache of his. He stares right into his eyes, then Qrow notices what was in that crate.

Explosives…

Explosives being wired into concrete, and Jackdaw laughs evilly as he stares at his brother. “Surprise.” He caws, before Qrow smirks and he transforms Harbinger into his Cannon Mode, and he fires it straight at the explosives. The bullet impacts, and Jackdaw’s eyes widen with total disbelief. The explosion erupts and throws them both back, chunks of concrete flying high into the sky from the crater. Jackdaw slides across the ground, but Qrow soars through the smoke in his Bird Form, before emerging as his Human Body again, slamming his Scythe downwards at where his brother is.

Jackdaw rolls out of the way and he slashes the blade of his scythe towards his brother again, hooking his arm and keeping him still. Jackdaw stares into his eyes as Qrow threatens him. “I will stop you.” Qrow snarls.

“Oh Bro…you never did listen to old Val’s teachings did ya?” He questions. Qrow viciously snarls at him.

“The hell are you talking about?” Qrow growls.

“Guess not. Well – rule number one in combat, never underestimate your enemy, even when you think you have the upper hand.” Jackdaw recites from memory, as he suddenly fires a blade towards Qrow, and it crashes into his chest, pushing him back from his brother, and Jackdaw catches the hilt of Harbinger. He swings round and throws it directly at his brother, but Qrow jumps up and flips over the sword, catching the hilt and clicking the button. The gears spin and the pieces of metal shift and rotate round, forming back into the cannon as the blade folds down, and he fires it straight at him. But Jackdaw’s 3-D Printers inside of his arms print more metal that forms a kind of shield that stops the shrapnel from hitting him.

Qrow stares at his brother, as if he cannot even recognise him anymore. He didn’t always have those cybernetic arms, and while his weapons were always quite unique – they were never like this. “What the hell happened to you?” Qrow snarks.

“I got upgraded bro…isn’t that what Huntsmen are supposed to do? To adapt? Well I adapted…and got stronger. So, then I can make you pay!” Jackdaw roars as he blasts towards him and swings his shield against his brother so hard it throws him back and he crashes through the parked bicycles left by the students. They break into many pieces as he hits into them, stabbing his sword into the ground to slow himself down.

“It happened a long time ago! But if you expect me to give you sympathy, then don’t hold your breath! Or do…it’ll save me the trouble of killing you!” Qrow yells with rage, and Jackdaw chuckles.

“Some things never change. You talk a big game, but at heart you’re still nothing more than a pathetic child who can’t realise that he is smaller than the one beating him down!” Jackdaw yells, rushing him yet again. Qrow swings his sword towards him, but Jackdaw swings right back, the impact so hard that they both slide across the ground as a blow of air from the impact ruptures.

Jackdaw rushes towards his brother once more, taking those terrifying blades and slashing at his brother repeatedly. Over and over and over again, cutting into him with terrifying precision. He jumps in the air and spins, slashing his feathers made from blades across Qrow’s body, hacking through his aura with how many strikes he is dealing to his enemy. As he lands, he aims both his barrels at his brother and fires them, the impact of the powerful bullets throws him across the ground, and he crashes to the floor with a groan. Qrow pushes his sword into the ground to get back up, only for Jackdaw to swing his boot right into Qrow’s mouth, knocking him back onto the ground.

Qrow’s aura is nearing the red, but he is not out yet, and as Jackdaw goes for another attack, Qrow rolls out of the way and he fires Harbinger into Jack’s side. The Ripper is blown across the ground, then he kicks himself up in the air, still flying through the air. He approaches one of the colonnades and he blasts off it at great speed, extending his blades once more, and he slashes towards Qrow. He rolls out of the way and Jackdaw slides across the ground. He rises back up and fires both barrels at Qrow, fully automatic this time, spraying bullets at him, but Qrow deflects every single shell that comes flying his way.

He jumps up and he runs across the Colonnades, running with his Sword behind his back as Jackdaw fires repeatedly at him. He then jumps off and roars as he slams the sword downwards at the ground, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground and making the water in the fountain ripple. Qrow’s red eyes widen and he holds up his huge sword, stopping the swinging blades of Jackdaw’s wing, colliding into the sword. Qrow grits his teeth and he growls, dropping his sword, causing it to stay caught between the blades. But Qrow rolls across Jackdaw’s back and he grabs onto his jaw, and pulls him over with a roar, and Jackdaw crashes down into the ground. He stabs down at the ground, but he kicks his feet against the sword after moving in time, grabbing his Top Hat just as he moves, putting it back on his head.

His glowing red eyes stare directly at his brother’s.

The most terrifying thing about all of this though, is that Jackdaw seems to be enjoying all of this. He enjoys the conflict, the terror he is spreading, the taste of another person’s blood in his mouth…or is that his own? He can’t tell anymore, he has drawn and spilled so much blood in his life that it is getting harder and harder to tell with every single day that passes by. “Gods it’s great to come back to this school! Never a dull moment!” Jackdaw laughs, and he runs into the smoke that hides him from his brother’s vision. Qrow looks around with worry, because he knows Jackdaw.

He grew up with him…and he knows how he fights. He uses unrelenting force, and aggression – but he does not let that get the better of him. He is still cunning and intelligent, which means that when you put strategy and madness together, you get one deadly foe. However, there is a weakness he has always known, a curse that Jackdaw always makes.

His enjoyment…he likes to savour it – meaning you can use that time to deal some damage back. Qrow stands at the ready, or at least as ready as he possibly can be, listening carefully to the smoke, to the screams, to the gunfire. When the cackle of Jackdaw returns, and he spins round with shock, to see Jackdaw erupting through the thick black smoke, grabbing him by the throat and smashing his face down into the cobbles extremely hard. That alone nearly broke his aura, but that was not what dealt that blow.

It was the metal fists, the fists that he now clenches and punches into Qrow’s face repeatedly, cracking the ground with every single strike. Jackdaw bellows with fury and madness as he pounds his younger brother’s head into the stone beneath him. Finally, as he grabs Qrow by the neck, he smashes his fist straight into the centre of his face. Qrow crumbles to the floor in pain, his nose broken but when his aura returns that will heal – if he gets out of this predicament.

Jackdaw slams his boot down against Qrow’s chest, pinning him to the floor, and then he leans down with a smirk.

The Ripper extends more blades, and he pops one of them out, catching it in his metal fist and he stabs down towards his brother’s throat, but Qrow catches his unnatural metal forearms. He pushes it down further and further only for Qrow to smash his knee into Jackdaw’s stomach, and the blade sinks right across his forehead as his aura finally cracks and bursts with red energy. The blade digs deep, cutting straight through the skin and spilling blood down his eye.

Qrow gasps in pain, as he takes his fist and punches his brother extremely hard in the side of the head to get him off his body. He gets up as fast as he can, and he transforms into his Crow form, and Jackdaw laughs maniacally. “Yeah that’s right, Qrow! Keep running! It’s what you do best!” Jackdaw bellows, as he transforms into his Bird form as well, chasing after his brother towards the streets of Vale.

This fight could get even bloodier.

 

**Ozpin**

The Headmaster of Beacon runs out from the base of the C.C.T Tower, looking around at the huge plumes of smoke that rise up into the sky. He holds his cane tight in his hand, hearing all the gunfire, completely unaware of who is firing them. Until he sees a terrified student running for her life, only to get a bullet in the back. She crashes down to the ground and cries out in agony as the blood pours out from her wound. She does not last long as she gasps for air, the bullet had punctured her lung on its way through her, and she is now suffocating, drowning on her own blood.

She reaches out in desperation, before her body turns lifeless, and collapses, her face pressed against the cold floor. Blood pools around her corpse, and Ozpin’s eyes widen with disbelief when he sees the man who shot her. It is one of the Construction Workers, the men and women who have been on their side for the past four years. The men and women who joked with them, helped some of the students with their homework, ate with them, drank with them. All of them, had been plotting against them, and now they are gunning down these children, the people that they acted like friends around – like it all meant nothing.

Ozpin turns and his eyes widen when he sees her body, covered in her blood. He sprints to her aid, crouching down and lifting her head as she coughs up claret. “Glynda…just hold on. We’re gonna fix this.” Ozpin begs her, but she is barely even holding on, her eyes faint and her skin turning pale. Huge chunks of metal and concrete lodged into her body, her blood everywhere…it horrifies him.

But she manages to say a few words before she loses consciousness. “Stop…them…” Glynda weakly tells him, before her head falls from his hands, and her weak breathing continues. She does not have time, they need to get her to a hospital. Port sprints over to Ozpin, seeing him pick her up and he turns to her, with a rage he has never seen before.

“Professor…I…”

“Take her to the nearest hospital.” Ozpin orders with a cold voice, his eyes filled with anger. Port holds her dying body in his arms and then looks back at the Professor.

“What about you?” Port asks.

Ozpin turns, and his grip on the cane tightens with a green hue as he readies his aura and glares at the men and women firing their rifles at valiant students. “Go…” Ozpin growls with anger.

As he walks towards them.

Port looks down at Glynda and he turns, running towards the city to get Glynda to the closest Hospital as fast as he can. Whilst Ozpin approaches the Construction Worker aiming his rifle at one of the students. He whimpers with terror, already suffering from a bullet wound to the stomach, blood pouring out. He is only a first year, just like that girl – it’s like these terrorists are going for them, whilst Jackdaw went for the Graduates.

This is coordinated.

“Please! I don’t wanna die!” He cries out with terror, and the worker smirks as his finger finds the trigger. Until suddenly the blunt cane erupts through the man’s chest with a horrific bang, blood splattering across the boy’s face. He gasps, and the Worker’s eyes widen with pain as he feels the cane forcefully get ripped from his back, bringing him to his knees. Ozpin grabs the man by throat, and he lifts him of the floor, staring right into his eyes. The boy watches with horror, seeing a side to Ozpin none of them have seen.

The old warrior.

The man who has made more mistakes than any man, woman and child.

The man…who will kill those who hurt his kids.

Ozpin crushes his throat and the man falls lifeless from his hand, and Ozpin scowls with fury, all of it bringing back the inner demon he has buried for all these years. The soldier turns, and some of them are wearing Atlesian Jetpacks as they hover, seeing the Headmaster standing before them. “Get inside.” Ozpin orders to the First Year, and then he cracks his neck as he scowls at the men and women.

“Ha! Bit outnumbered buddy!” One of the Construction Workers laughs as he aims his rifle at the older man. The green energy continues to course across his body and his aura hardens, before he spins his Cane through his fingers, then he blasts forward at astonishing speeds. “Holy shit!” The soldier exclaims with shock, until Ozpin swings his cane across the face of the man with all his might, shattering his skull inside of his head and rupturing countless blood vessels. Blood bursts from his ears and nose before hitting the ground, dead instantly.

“Kill him!” A Female Worker yells, firing her rifle at Ozpin, but he darts back and forth with great speed, and then he spins the cane round his can and stabs it into the ground, forming a crackling green bubble that catches all their bullets in its field. They keep firing, but then Ozpin bellows with fury as he opens his closed arms, and the pulse shoots the shots right back at the soldiers. One of Jackdaw’s Infiltrators gets shredded by the bullets, one of them going straight through his head. Ozpin lunges forward and smacks the cane across the face of another fighter, and as he swings his fist at the Professor, he ducks down and swings his head upwards, right up his jaw. He bites down onto his tongue so hard that he severs it in a spray of crimson claret, and he shrieks in agony.

Ozpin rolls across his back and hooks his cane underneath his head, and he swings him downwards into the ground with all his might, breaking every single bone in his body. His body lays there, not lifelessly, but paralysed – making him wish he was dead. The Female Soldier aims her Atlesian Rifle at him, and she pulls the trigger, firing it repeatedly at him, but he dashes out the way in a crackling green flash, before he swings his staff and smashes it across his face. The soldier he attacked staggers, and then he holds him in front of her bullets, causing her to kill him instead.

The woman frowns and she draws a knife of hers and throws it straight at Ozpin, but he catches it and throws it straight back, lodging it right into her leg. She howls in agony as blood sprays out from the wound, but then he jumps and he runs across the crates that they have been using for cover, pressing his legs against each other he jumps to. He then jumps up, spiralling through the air before he smashes his knee right down into the woman’s head, so hard he crushes her skull down to the floor. She is dead instantaneously from the impact, breaking her neck as well as breaking her skull.

Ozpin flinches when a bullet flies past him, not one bullet has even hit him yet, and he turns to see the Jetpack Workers firing his Submachine Gun at him. He then sees him switch to full auto and he sprays the rounds down at him, but he moves with incredible speed. Like a blur he moves out of the way of every single shot. He then dashes forward and sees a cable and he throws it up like a lasso, wrapping it around his waist and yanking him down from the air. He smashes through the crates and Ozpin wraps the cable around his throat, and begins to choke him out, pulling him towards the colonnade, and he takes him by the head and smashes his head down into the ground.

There is quite a terrifyingly vicious look in his eyes as he kills them one by one, not even trying to take them alive. He just wants them all to die, for lying to them all, for killing his students, killing children – for playing apart in the death of a good friend of his, and maybe even killing Glynda if she cannot be saved.

For Yatsuhashi.

For Ciel Soleil.

For Brawnz Ni.

For Reese Chloris.

And for Peony Azura.

So many dead, and they all played a part in it. The darkness that Ozpin has tried to hide for so long is coming out once again, a part of his life he never wanted to return. But they have forced his hand, as soon as they started hurting his children. Another Jetpack Worker blasts around the corner and he grabs Ozpin by the throat, slamming him across the ground – finally one of them has managed to land a hit on the Professor. But not for long, as Ozpin punches his Cane straight through the heart of the soldier, causing him to collapse. Blood covers his cane after impaling two people with it.

It is no sword, but the force he has thrust that thing with…it might as well be one.

Ozpin sprints towards the rest of the forces emerging from the buildings with machine guns in their hands, until he turns to see Coco Adel, Velvet Scarlatina and Fox Alistair arriving with horrified…and enraged eyes. Velvet has tears coating her cheeks and so does Coco. They have found the body of Yatsuhashi, and now they want revenge. Coco lets out an anguished scream of fury as she blasts her Chaingun constantly at the soldiers. One of the Workers gasps and then screams in agony as the bullets shred his arm off, blood spraying up into the air.

Fox blasts towards them and he spins through the air, slashing one of his tonfas across the throat of the worker. These are the first lives they have ever taken, but Velvet is the one that cannot bring herself to fight. Her emotions…she just collapses to the floor, crying as she holds a piece of his armour in her bloodied hands…she must have tried to wake him up. Coco jumps up as she kicks one of the workers in the jaw and she takes her handbag after closing the Chaingun, bashing it against the face of the soldier over and over again with a heartbroken howl. Whilst Fox is stabbing one of them to death with his blades, pinning him against the wall, blood covering his body.

Ozpin stares at them but his own anger fills his heart as he lunges towards Velvet, who does not have the heart for revenge. She can kill Grimm, but Human Beings…that is something else entirely. Ozpin dashes towards a soldier about to shoot Velvet in the throat from afar, and he deflects the bullet into a Crane carrying some of the huge rods of rebar used for rebuilding, and as it falls the rods impale straight through him, killing him instantly. Ozpin stands beside Velvet and he looks down to her, crouching down and she looks at him with tears in her eyes.

He caresses her cheek gently, wiping the tears away with his thumb. “We will punish those who did this. I promise.” Ozpin says to her with a smile. Velvet however cannot share the smile, but she does trust him, and she nods her head.

Ozpin turns when he hears the sound of a gunshot in the city of Vale, and his eyes narrow and he clenches his fist.

 

**Qrow**

Qrow soars through the air, cawing as he glides along, looking down at the civilians that are minding their own business, unaware of the attack. Although some do look a bit concerned, they must have heard the sound of the bomb going off in Beacon Academy. There are Bullheads arriving too, Bullheads that look like they are news Airships – until the door opens and Qrow shifts back into Human Form, seeing the other Workers inside, aiming their rifles at him. He gasps and his eyes widen as the Bullhead pursues after him.

Qrow dives down, just dodging the bullets fired, and the civilians scream in terror as the erratic gunfire erupts. Qrow slides down the tiled roof of one of the buildings, his mind racing as he dodges the many bullets, having to see through the red blur of his blood.

_Damn it! He’s predicted every move I’ll make! They knew which Crow I was!_

Qrow sprints as fast as he can across the street, until he hears the caw of the Jackdaw. He turns his attention to the little black bird following him, and as it passes by one of the chimneys, it has been replaced with Jackdaw himself. He extends his barrels and fires them right at him and he jumps up in the air, shifting back into his crow form, flying as fast as he can to dodge the many bullets that come flying his way. The Bullhead roars over his head and the soldiers keep firing at the little bird, and then Qrow makes a turn towards a familiar Bar.

The Crowbar.

He soars straight at it, then shifts back into Human Form, and he kicks the doors open as he flies through, the doors swinging as he slams his shoulder right into the bar. With his aura down, that impact dislocated his shoulder. He yells in agony as he grabs his shoulder, looking around to see the bar has been upgraded since and is also now a restaurant – meaning there are more people here, and more blood could be spilled if he stays here. He gets up to leave, only to hear his voice.

“Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here boys, looks like our little duckling has fled back to his nest!” Jackdaw laughs as he lands in front of the entrance.

“Shit.” Qrow winces, so he vaults over the bar beside the shaking and terrified bartender. He grabs his shoulder and grits his teeth as he relocates it with a loud pop. The crunch makes him jolt and he falls onto his ass, pressing his back up against the wall as he pants erratically. Still holding Harbinger in his hand as he hears Jackdaw making his approach.

Qrow’s mind has not stopped racing.

_Why…why the hell have you come back now?_

_All these years you vanished, I thought the Black Gallows had you in their custody. No way in hell you managed to escape…what the hell are you planning?_

As these thoughts bounce around inside of his mind, he presses his fingers to his wound, feeling the hot sticky blood down his face. But his aura is starting to come back, meaning it will heal soon, and he can fight again. But Jackdaw is right there…so he needs to do something…he needs to stall him. “I wonder I wonder, little duckling…what’re we gonna have to drink today?” Jackdaw says, as he kicks the doors open and enters, the bartender shaking like a shake-weight. Everyone is silent, staring at both Jackdaw and the bar where his brother is taking cover right now. “SO, BROTHER! HOW MANY OF THESE FINE FOLK AM I GONNA KILL FOR YOU TO SHOW YOUR FACE TO ME?” Jackdaw bellows as he extends his blades from his metal arms, ready to pin all of them to the walls, paint this whole place blood red if need be.

“Zero…I’m right here, Jack.” Qrow tells him, and he lowers his head with a smirk. “Y’know…I’d have thought you’d be dead by now. Surprised to see you’re still kicking, back at killing innocents again I see.” Qrow snarls, and Jackdaw narrows his eyes with a scoff.

“Yeah well, us big boys do whatever we have to do to get what we want. Oh wait, my apologies, you’re such a skinny little brat I almost forgot you’re in your forties now.” Jackdaw scoffs, and Qrow chuckles as he scratches some of his grey hairs.

“Wow, going right for the jugular, huh?” Qrow questions as he slowly regenerates his aura, waiting for the opportunity.

“Must admit though – your skills have improved since we last met. You fight with more aggression, a bit like your precious sister. How is she by the way?” Jackdaw asks him curiously.

“Dunno, haven’t seen her in a while.” Qrow states.

“Bullshit, Qrow. I’ve been keeping my eye on Beacon for a while now. You think I didn’t see the two of you chatting during that cute little party the kids had after you won that battle? I heard every word. Guess our precious Uncle is back at her camp, guy was always a bit of a creep.” Jackdaw chuckles as he walks around the room, stretching his back and popping his shoulders.

_Jackdaw is ruthless, cunning and skilled, but his biggest weakness was always his mouth. All I need to do is to get the bastard to monologue, he won’t be able to resist._

“Well, your skills are better than I last saw you. The metal arms are new, how’d you lose your normal ones?” Qrow asks him, and Jackdaw chuckles as he looks at his metal hands.

“Oh these? Well let’s just say that the path to improving the human condition is bloody and painful – but I have learned how to endure it. Not like my pretty blonde niece.” Jackdaw chuckles sinisterly as he looks at the bar where he is taking cover.

“You cut off your own arms?” Qrow questions.

“Yeah, can’t break a man’s fingers if he can’t feel it.” He chuckles with a smirk, truly showing how much worse his mind has decayed over the years. “But c’mon, show your handsome face little brother. Let’s get this over and done with, yeah?” He asks him curiously.

“Sorry, brother. I’m quite comfortable over here.” Qrow replies, and Jackdaw chuckles as he nods his head, then suddenly extending the barrel from his metal arm.

“Then we’ll have to do it this way.” Jackdaw says.

BANG!

He fires a round right past the Bartender’s head and he screams in terror, wanting to duck down. “If you duck for a second buddy boy…” He says, as the bladed feathers slowly extend from his metal arms. “…if any of you move.” He continues as he looks at them all. “I will spill every last drop from your bodies.”

Qrow grits his teeth, realising how dangerous all this is getting now. “Don’t do this, Jackdaw. They’re innocent, it’s me you want. Let them go.” Qrow demands, and Jackdaw scoffs.

“Little brother, you’re in no place to make commands. Take a listen too, because if you try and sneak out…my men will know.” Jackdaw states, and Qrow does exactly as his brother recommends. He uses his aura and enhances his hearing for a few seconds, and he can hear the clinking of rifles and the breath of up to twenty soldiers around the Bar.

He isn’t going anyway.

“Got it all figured out, huh?” Qrow scoffs.

"This world is unforgiving, Qrow. You and I both know that. A mother duck can have twenty ducklings, but the odds are only two will reach adulthood. The future of our world is hanging in the air right now, and you're trying to protect a group of ducklings where only a select few will reach the end. We both know why you left Beacon. To keep your little ducklings safe, because you care for them. Bad luck's followed you forever. And hell, maybe it was your bad luck that led to the attack, to the fall of the Tournament... Good thing you left when you did... or Beacon might have fallen completely.” Jackdaw says as he keeps his barrel aimed at the Bartender’s head.

“But surely you know by now…your curse won’t save them…not from _me_.” Jackdaw states as he stands there, his red eyes staring viciously at the bar.

“Leave them out of this. This is between you and me.” Qrow states.

“And dear old Raven. Our bloodline – the Branwen Bloodline – we are a curse on this planet, so many have died because of us. Even Valravn needs to pay the price we all have on our heads.” Jackdaw states.

“And what about you?” Qrow questions as he looks at his scroll, his aura slowly coming back into the green.

“I’ll do what I do best until fate decides to take me away. It’s all I have little brother; every man needs a hobby. It’s the only source of fulfilment a man can get in this cruel world.” Jackdaw explains, before firing once again, and the bottles shatter by the Bartender’s head and he screams in terror. All he wants to do is get down, but he does not want anyone to die.

“Oh yeah? That why you murdered all those kids at Beacon? Killed Ironwood? Glynda?” Qrow questions.

“Yup.” He casually answers. “I will kill anyone who gets in my way, anyone who tries to stop me from getting to you, to Raven, to Val. Hell maybe even Yang, she has our blood in her too.” He reminds. “And you’re no different, you kill too when people stand in your way.” Jackdaw states.

“Yeah.” Qrow agrees, suddenly opening Harbinger and lifting it over his head and firing straight into Jackdaw, using the reflection of one of the Bottles to see where he is. Jackdaw’s eyes widen and he grunts.

“Oh!” Jackdaw grunts, the impact hits him straight in the chest and blows him through the doors.

Jackdaw crashes to the ground with a groan, looking up and his eyes widen when he sees that his soldiers are being decimated suddenly. Then as the fight continues, he sees him – Ozpin – battering them all with his cane. “Well I’ll be damned.” He chuckles softly as he stares at the Headmaster as he slays ever single one of them with great speed. He looks ahead to see Qrow erupting through the doors and he flies up in his Crow form towards the other soldiers firing up at him, but he dives down and he roars in anger, taking Harbinger and slashing it through their torsos, a spray of blood rising up into the air as he slides down the roof and fires his cannon into the head of one of the other soldiers, killing him instantly.

Ozpin darts across the rooftops and he throws his cane, knocking one of the men out of the sky, and he kicks the Jetpack Using Soldier down into the power lines. He screeches in agony as the high voltage burns him alive. Both Qrow and Ozpin land beside one another, and they see Jackdaw rising back up with his blades extending once again with a man smirk on his face. “Hey there, Professor…I got a detention?” He asks him curiously, following with both Qrow and Ozpin charging towards him.

He smirks and he launches the blades towards them both. One of the blades cuts across Ozpin’s shoulder, but he keeps charging despite the blood leaking from his open wound. He spins through the air and slams his cane across his face. Qrow on the other hand slashes his sword at his brother, but then he grabs Ozpin by the head with his metal hand and he punches him in the chest twice before raising them both back up and pounding both into the centre of his ribs. Ozpin is blown back, and he rolls across the floor, before he catches Qrow’s sword and glares right into his eyes with a smirk.

Jackdaw pulls Qrow and he punches him into the ground with all his might, knocking him down to the ground. Jackdaw extends his blades and slashes at Qrow repeatedly, but Qrow grabs his sword and blocks them all, sparks bursting out constantly, bouncing off the floor and leaving tiny scorch marks. Qrow jumps and pushes his foot against the wall of the bar and he swings downwards at his brother, cutting across his aura. He then transforms his sword and blasts Jackdaw and he smashes straight through the building. In the darkness he suddenly jumps out, launching more 3-D Printed Blades from his arms like Fatal Feathers.

Jackdaw slides across the wooden ground and he swipes his blades across his brother’s legs, but Qrow jumps up into the air and fires his cannon again as Ozpin gets up. The Professor bellows with rage as he lunges towards Jackdaw, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him against the wall. But as Ozpin holds him there, Jack suddenly extends his blades again, dealing some lethal damage to his aura as it pushes him back. Jackdaw kicks him in the chest, and he slides across the floor. Jack the Ripper reloads his cannons by printing more rounds and he unleashes storm of bullets towards him, and he deflects them all with his cane, moving impressively fast.

Qrow zooms towards Jackdaw once again and tackles him, throwing the massive man into a car and he smashes the car door down. Qrow roars, jumping up and stabbing down towards him, but he moves aside and headbutts him. Qrow recoils back, and Ozpin makes his attack. With great speed, he jabs at Jackdaw repeatedly with his cane like a blur, hitting him around twenty times in the span of five seconds, causing him to stagger back from the many strikes, and then he swings forward with a powerful strike that knocks Jackdaw back. Qrow jumps over Qrow and fires his cannon at him again, but Jackdaw crosses his blades over like a Valkyrie would.

The smoke trails across his body, but just as they are about to continue.

The distant howls of sirens echo, and Jackdaw smirks as he stares at them. Qrow and Ozpin both grit their teeth. “As much as I would love to continue this dance…my work here is done…” He laughs sinisterly, transforming into his bird form. Qrow grits his teeth as he fires his cannon at him repeatedly, but the little bird escapes as quickly as he arrived.

Ozpin though…

…he realises what has just transpired.

He has made his presence known.

A Former Huntsman.

And he just committed a lethal terrorist attack that has left fifty people dead.

“He didn’t come here to kill you, I think he wanted to try…but he did it to put more of a bad name on the Huntsmen.” Ozpin realises with wide eyes.

“What?” Qrow questions.

“He is a Former Huntsman. How’s that gonna help our rep after the Black Smog?” Ozpin questions, and Qrow stammers.

Because he is right.

“Shit.”

 

 


	4. Black Feathers

**Winter**

With the curtains open after their romantic night together…

Winter and Eryka lay together in their bed, the furs warmly wrapped around their naked bodies, both their hairs quite messy too. Winter looks at her girlfriend, always finding herself in awe at her beauty as she gently caresses her mostly smooth skin. However, there are parts of her athletic body that not many people know about simply because she usually shows very little skin. She can see all her tattoos on her body, and she has quite a few. Her arms have sleeves of floral tattoos, with roses and vines around her forearms. However, the arms themselves have scars both from fighting and merely from catching her beloved eagle on her wrist.

That big silly Altum Eagle does not always land on the glove, meaning his talons sometimes drag into her skin – leaving some deep scars. However, by the Talon Scars are others, ones that clearly are from knives or maybe even Grimm she has fought in the mountains. The fact her aura is so thin, it means she can get injured faster than normal Huntsmen and Huntresses. But as everyone knows, that has never stopped her – but Winter has been helping her fortify her aura and hoping to unlock her semblance. To no avail so far though, her secret is still completely unknown.

Her beautiful face is not without a few blemishes either, however they are not as noticeable as the arms. She has a small scar on her jaw and one over the bridge of her nose – ones she has collected from fist fights over the years, alongside some scars she is extremely insecure over. Her hands – most women tend to have very delicate hands like Winter and Weiss do, but hers are covered with scarring from the Bare-Knuckle Pit Boxing Matches. A very long time ago, she was not the sweet and fun going girl she is now. Her scarred hands are the reason behind why she wears her gloves so much, she keeps hiding them.

Yet last night, when they were making love to each other, Winter never felt her hands were any different to her own. If anything, they were the same, warm and gentle as they wrapped around her body and pushed through her white hair. But to imagine…what her hands would have looked like back in the days she was fighting in dark underground boxing matches…there would have been so much blood.

One of her sleeve tattoos reaches her shoulder and just goes onto her neck, a large rose that can be seen by many even with her clothes on – alongside two small black birds on the other side of her neck. Something very interesting as she looks at them, her gentle hand caressing her skin where they are. But as her hand goes around her girlfriend, that’s when she feels a very different kind of scar. She saw the stab scar on her leg and her abdomen…but between her shoulder blades, on her back – is something very different.

Something nobody has ever seen before.

It is a brand.

And as her fingers gently run across the rippled scarred skin, she starts to picture what kind of brand has been burned onto her lover’s back. It feels like it is a bird of some kind, feathered wings splayed out and the beak cawing – almost like a Raven. As she touches her back, Eryka winces and she softly moans, her eyes squint together even when closed, then they slowly open up, her bright blue eyes emerging as they meet Winter’s. The Schnee smiles as she looks at her girlfriend. “Hey, you.” She softly greets as she caresses her cheek, her thumb affectionately stroking the shaved blue patterned hair on the side of her head. Eryka smiles as she looks up at her girlfriend.

“Hey, yourself.” Eryka softly replies.

“I hope I didn’t wake you.” She softly says to her.

“Ah, it’s alright. Been woken up by worse.” Eryka chuckles as she gently caresses Winter’s cheek as well. She yawns and rubs her eye and the faint freckles under her eyes.

“Oh yeah? Like what?” She asks curiously as she rests her head into the pillow, and Eryka chuckles, planting her elbow against the pillow and her hand supporting her head. She gently bites her blip, pondering through her memories as she chooses the memory that she was specifically hinting at.

“Well, back when I lived in the mountains, during my trials I went through to earn the egg that hatched Dulcis – one of my trials was to learn how to survive in the mountains with nothing but the clothes on my back and a stick.” She explains, and Winter’s large blue eyes widen with disbelief.

“Damn, that’s a bit extreme.” She says.

“It needs to be, that’s what my Mentor taught me.”

“Who was your mentor? You’ve mentioned him in the past a few times.” Winter asks her curiously, touching her blue hair as it falls over her eyes. Eryka smiles and she looks her in the eyes.

“Well…I can’t say his name. He asked me not to.” Eryka says to her, and Winter raises a brow.

“Why not?” She asks her.

“Well the place I was taught…to focus my emotions and manage my anger? Most people that go there have the hopes of escaping their past lives. Or are being hunted by dangerous people. Or others just came there to restart their lives. He offers people a second chance, because that was what he was offered when he was found by the previous leader. But not just that…he doesn’t go by his old name anymore. He…was not a perfect man, and just like the others he chose to be a new man. A man with no true name.” Eryka explains as she touches Winter’s collarbone, gently stroking a small scar above her breast, a slash from battling against countless Grimm in her missions.

Winter too has her fair share of scars, a stab wound in her back, a burn across her leg and three deep claw marks across her belly. The marks clearly were given to her by a Beowulf, not many beasts could deliver such a mark that would not cause disembowelment.

Winter kisses her hand gently, before smiling at her and nodding her head. “I understand – he would rather not spread his name across the world.” Winter nods.

“But…I love you…and I trust you…so I guess I can give you a name of sorts. His title at least.” Eryka admits, and Winter blushes softly after hearing her touching words, of how much she really means to her. “He is known as the Protector of the Summit.” She tells her.

“Hell, of a name.” Winter chuckles.

“Hell, of a man, he was found almost dead, but the people saved him. Some claimed the Mountain did, but he said to me that it was just the heroic doctors that fixed him.” Eryka says, then she looks at her with a smile. “And he fixed me.”

She opens her scarred hands, staring at the marks of her past, wounds collected from her bare knuckles colliding with fresh faces in those utterly terrifying pits. “Eryka?”

“Yeah, Wints?” She replies.

“Can I ask…what was it he did? To change?” Winter asks her.

Eryka pauses and her eyes ponder, she exhales as she gives her a cryptic answer. “He flew too close to the sun.” She answers, and Winter looks at her and chooses to not dig any deeper. She loves Eryka but her cryptic side can be rather annoying because it makes her such a hard conversationalist when it comes down to her past. Winter yawns, then her scroll vibrates on the table. She looks at the clock on the bedside table and raises her brow.

The apartment they have been staying in is far from the battle that has just transpired…meaning they never heard a thing and were still asleep.

“Who’s calling at these hours?” Eryka moans as she flops back onto the pillow. Winter sits up, holding the furs to her neck as she sits up. Eryka rolls over with a smirk and she wraps her arms around Winter’s waist, kissing her neck seductively, making Winter smile.

“Hello?” She answers.

Eryka cannot hear the words, it is just Winter’s change in expression…her blood running cold…that is what makes her realise something is wrong. “What?”

“Wints? What’s wrong?” She asks her, stopping her seductive kissing and sitting beside her…then Winter’s grip loosens on the scroll and it falls from her hands with horror in her eyes.

 

Half an hour later…

Dressed and running out the door, the two of them eventually arrive at the Academy, out of breath as they stare at the flames and the smoke. The stains of blood that scatter the school grounds, the drops of claret from the roof of the Dormitories where Peony was impaled to the chimney stack. The slash marks across the ground and the utter decimation. Corpses everywhere, some of them covered up in tarps where the police begin to take them away. Whilst others have been gently zipped up in black body bags. Winter sees Velvet, Coco and Fox by the largest of the bags, the broken sword beside it as Velvet bawls her eyes out in utter anguish. Coco is trying her best to stay strong, and Fox is showing nothing, just a deep rage that has just built up in his heart the whole time.

The two Huntresses look around in total dismay at the horror…then Winter runs to one of the bags with horror in her eyes. One of them is Ciel Soleil, but the other is just getting zipped up – seeing the metal hand inside. And there is so much blood on the ground, she collapses to her knees and she shrieks in pure anguish over the death of her General. Eryka turns her around and hugs her lovingly, holding her tight and close, kissing her cheek as she holds her there.

Winter cries into Eryka’s shoulder, Ironwood was like a father to her in the same way that Klein was. He was always caring for her and extremely supportive, unlike most superiors and most certainly unlike Jacques Schnee. Eryka holds her, then she looks Winter in the eyes, holding her by the back of her neck with both hands. “Look at me, Winter – look at me.” She whispers as she wipes the tears from her sobbing eyes. She then kisses her lovingly, and Winter pulls her lips to hers as they share that moment – Eryka just wants her to stop looking at that body bag for a few seconds. When they break the kiss, she hugs her again, her hand through Winter’s white hair.

She has never seen Winter break down like this before, she really did care for her General. “It’s gonna be okay…we’re gonna find out what happened here.” Eryka promises as she whispers into her ear. She then looks at her again, and they press their forehead together as Winter hiccups tears in her embrace. All of that training to harden her emotions, but for her General to die like this, from a surprise attack by a single man…that is not how he deserved to go.

He should have died heroically.

Not like this.

Winter looks at Eryka, and the Falconess knows her gaze, she knows when she needs a moment. So, she lets her go, and the tearful Schnee turns to the body bag of her General. She falls to her knees beside him and she presses her hands atop the bag, sobbing heavily by his body. Eryka looks at her and she feels so helpless, seeing her cry like that is completely terrifying for Eryka. Winter has always been able to keep a lid on her emotions, seeing her like this…things must be cataclysmic if she cannot even breathe from crying so hard.

Eryka counts the six body bags and the amount of bodies that are being carried away by the local police force. There are already Reporters here covering the events that have happened here, and her ears delicately listen into the words of Reporter Lisa Lavender.

“A horrible terrorist attack has occurred on the ground of Beacon Academy following the Graduation Ceremony of the students of this school. We are still receiving reports of what sounds like another Huntsman was responsible for these attacks. We will report more when information arises. We currently have twenty-six people dead, five Graduates and Atlesian Headmaster – General James Ironwood is one of the dead. Professor Glynda Goodwitch has been described to be in a critical condition following the bomb attack by the attacker.” Lisa reports to the cameras that flash before her, and there are already crowds of people shamelessly preaching the new thing to spread now.

The Puritan Followers – a growing idea that sparked ever since the events of the Battle of Beacon. When Yang broke Mercury’s leg, when Pyrrha killed Penny and the attack that followed, coupled with Jaymes Ickford’s outburst and the Black Smog attacking…it has sparked an entire idea that the Huntsmen Academies must be improved. New regulations that have proper militaristic code and less like a school for children to go out. And there have been even more claims to support this in history.

_A Train destroying a district of Vale, causing a Grimm Attack_

_Children battling against White Fang and Thugs, causing more collateral damage than good_

_Too much freedom for people with so much power_

_Soldiers being neglected for treatments whilst children who caused attacks get high end augmentations_

The list goes on, and the following is just getting stronger and stronger with more people joining the following. It has actually started to form an entire Political Campaign to add more control to the Academies, to prevent tragedies like this from continuing. At the end of the day, this was clearly Jackdaw’s plan, to add more fuel to the fire.

But hearing their words after this horrific tragedy is making her blood boil.

“HOW MANY MORE WILL DIE BEFORE WE HAVE RULES?”

“GONNA KEEP HIDING FROM THE TRUTH?”

“REMOVE OZPIN FROM OFFICE!”

“NO MORE DEAD COPS!”

“IS THIS WHAT MY DAUGHTER DIED FOR?”

It all begins to pile up and Eryka clenches her hand into a fist with gritted teeth, the Protector of the Summit may have managed to cure her of her rage – but not all of it. She reaches down to her bow to draw it, until she hears a voice that seems to mute the many yelling voices of the crowd. “Eryka!” Neptune calls, and she gasps with relief, spinning round to see her little brother sprinting to her. She catches him in a hug, kissing the top of his head.

“Oh, by the gods, you’re okay!” She cries out with relief.

“Don’t worry, we weren’t here, but we heard…what happened?” He asks her with worry.

“Not certain, but by the looks of it – there was a terrorist attack. And it was coordinated.” She states as she looks at all the bodies. Neptune turns to see Sun walking over as well, looking at Eryka.

“You alright?” He asks her.

“Yeah. Winter’s…we lost Ironwood.” Eryka tells them, and Team S.S.S.N’s eyes widen with horror from this.

“No…” Scarlet gasps with disbelief, then they turn to see them returning.

Team R.W.B.Y and J.N.P.R.

The smoke flows through the air from the flames where that Atlesian Knight exploded. Ruby stares at the destruction, the blood on the ground. Blake and Weiss both gasp when they see Sun and Neptune, sprinting to their beloved boyfriends. They run into one another’s embrace, sharing touching kisses and tight hugs. “Are you alright?” Blake whimpers as she checks Sun’s body, looking at his chest where the black filament is still inside of his body, unable to be removed after the wound he suffered from the Praetorian Knight.

“We weren’t here, we just got here.” Sun tells her, kissing her forehead as he hugs her lovingly.

“Where’s my sister?” Weiss whimpers after looking after her boyfriend. Then her eyes turn to her sister who cries over the bag of General Ironwood. Weiss’ eyes widen with concern, and she goes to walk over to Winter. Eryka holds her arm out to keep her from going any closer.

“Give her a second, alright?” Eryka asks her.

“She’s my sister.” Weiss reminds, pushing past Eryka and walking right up to her big sister. She crouches down beside her crying sister and gently touches her shoulder. The tearful Winter Schnee turns her head with anger in her eyes, until she sees her sister. In a similar way to how Eryka is able to – the anger that Winter can channel can be cured only by the girl he loves, and her little sister. Weiss immediately squeezes her in a hug, and Winter accepts it, her arms around her sister as well.

Ruby stares at the bodies as she stands beside her sister, looking at Jaune as he looks at them. Pyrrha covers her mouth with heartbreak when she sees Jaymes crying over the bad that has Peony inside. He has her weapon beside her, but he does not even look at it, he never even got to say any kind of goodbye to her. She was just murdered right in front of him, her blood dried and stuck to his face even now.

Nora and Ren walk through the destruction, something that has become all too familiar to them. She walks with him towards Team C.F.V as they grieve the death of Yatsuhashi. Nora crouches down beside Velvet and she gently squeezes her shoulder. With tears covering her cheeks and her eyes bloodshot from heartbreak, it hurts their hearts to see such a sweet ball of life to be broken down like this. Ren looks at their pain, and it is all too familiar to him, remembering what he felt when his father was killed in Kuroyuri by the Nuckelavee. It is a pain he never wants to see again, but he always will.

Not matter how hard he tries.

“I’m so sorry.” Nora apologises.

“He…he tried to fight him…” Coco sniffles as she looks at the bag, for they saw the hold in his chest and his crushed shoulder. But they knew him too well, and he would have tried to stop Jackdaw from winning. But at the end of the day, Jackdaw Branwen has a skill level far beyond anything they have ever faced, and his weaponry is utterly unheard of.

“He will not die for nothing. We promise you.” Ren assures.

“We will all make sure he doesn’t. The monster who did this…he _must_ die.” Velvet growls with tearful anger. Very rarely do they see Velvet Scarlatina like that, filled with pure hatred and rage. As Ruby walks with Yang, she looks down and sees the hoverboard on the ground next to one of the bags. They can remember her – Reese Chloris – she was part of Team A.B.R.N, and they can see the rest of her team sat nearby, also crying over her death. She died…in terror…she never deserved to die that way.

The way Jackdaw murdered these people, he treated it like it was all a game. Like not one of their lives mattered at any point. Ruby closes her silver eyes, and slowly clenches her hand into a fist, gritting her teeth with anger. Yang looks at her fist, seeing this rage building up in here, and a faint silver glimmer underneath her closed eyelids. Her power is something she still has not yet learned to master, she has not actually used it since the first time. No event has ever caused it to manifest - it seems to be linked to her emotions in some way.

"Ruby…” His voice speaks, and her eyes open and she gasps, turning to see him stood there with his flask in his hand. Qrow looks at her with tired eyes and looking serious. She runs to him and hugs him lovingly, burying her head into his chest. Winter lifts her head to see Qrow standing there as he hugs his two beloved Nieces. Eryka walks over as well as he stands there.

“Uncle Qrow…I’m so glad you’re okay.” Ruby sighs with relief.

“I didn’t know you were here.” Yang says.

“I wasn’t…but I knew it was him.” Qrow says with a growl in his voice as he goes to clench his fist, but he stops and loosens his aching muscles.

“Huh?” Ruby asks him with worry.

“You…knew him?” Yang asks, and he looks at them all. Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren stand before him and he sighs.

“You could say that.” Qrow says, looking away from them and to the many body bags that have been collected after Jackdaw’s attack.

“Who is it?” Yang questions, but Qrow does not answer, he just touches the necklace…and the three bird tattoos on his neck. A Crow and a Raven…and a scratched-out Jackdaw. He must have scratched, or burned it away, because the scarring has almost completely erased the tattoo. But the memories cannot be burned away.

“Wait…where’s Glynda?” Ruby whimpers with worry, and Qrow sadly sighs, looking at her.

“Come with me.”

 

**Ruby**

They follow Qrow into the nearest hospital, where they see Port sat outside with his head in his hands. He looks broken from the news that has just hit him, and stood by her bed is Ozpin, tears in his eyes as he talks to her. Teams R.W.B.Y, J.N.P.R and S.S.S.N follow them, and they see her in there. She is pale, and her heart monitor is weak, her body fatally wounded from the shrapnel that was thrown into her in that massive explosion. The blood has stopped, but she has lost too much for them to save her. Ruby’s silver eyes widen with heartbreak when she sees her dying in that bed.

Professor Port stands up and he looks at the students, even seeing Team C.R.D.L and C.F.V following them in to see Glynda one last time. “The doctors…they did what they could. All they have managed to do now, is make sure that she goes peacefully.” He tells them, and they all look at the Professor with tears welling, and their hearts break. Ozpin stands by her, and he slowly turns to walk away from her, wiping the tears from his eyes, opening the door as he looks at them.

“You…should say your goodbyes.” Ozpin recommends with broken breath, before he walks down the hallway to have a moment alone. Qrow stands there, but he does not enter the room – he just stands outside with his head held low. Ruby is the first to walk in with her hands close together, with her team beside her. Glynda coughs as she looks at them.

“Wow…I didn’t expect a party…” She jokes softly as she sees the many students coming in. Cardin stands as the tallest, with tears in his eyes, no matter how hard he tries to keep them at bay. They all stand there, and Glynda smiles and softly chuckles, glancing to the many chairs in there. “Come here for one last lesson? With dear old me?” Glynda softly chuckles with a raspy voice, so they all…sadly…pull the chairs and they sit down so they can spend this moment with their teacher.

Ruby sits down next to her, and she looks at her with tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry…” She sniffles sadly to her.

“Oh please, none of that.” Glynda groans with the roll of her eyes, smiling at them.

“We should have been here.” Weiss says as she looks down at her knees.

“You graduated…I only regret that not everyone who was as lucky as you could have been away. Velvet, Coco, Fox…I am so sorry, about Yatsu.” She softly says to them with sadness in her green eyes. They have managed to stop crying a bit, but only by a second as they sit by their dying teacher.

“I don’t know what we’ll do without him, miss.” Velvet says to her.

“You’ll…move on…I know you can. You’re stronger than you know…stronger than we ever could have been.” Glynda promises with a smile, and Cardin shakes his head.

“You should be proud of yourself, Professor.” Cardin says, and she smiles as she looks at him and his team. Never in her life did she expect these bullies to become the honourable men they have become now.

“Mm…I have lived a life…not a perfect one, but no life is. Be pretty boring if it was…what matters is if you…make the mistakes right.” She says as she looks at him, then at Velvet. He looks at her and he smiles. The two of them have fixed the damage he caused all those years ago and are actually great friends now. “I am so proud of you, Cardin. I must admit…I thought you were a proper dick when we first met.” She chuckles, making them all chuckle, especially Cardin.

“Well…I didn’t do much to help my case.” Cardin admits.

“But you made things right…you saw your mistakes…you all did…and you made sure you made it right. That takes courage, strength…heroism. The three things I have always believed a Huntsman should have.” Glynda explains with a smile, looking at Qrow standing outside with his arms crossed. “Even people from dark upbringings can do great things.” She says as she looks at him, both Yang and Ruby look at their Uncle. They have always known that he had a pretty shrouded childhood, but they have never really known for certain.

Ruby looks down at the ground, and Blake holds Sun’s hand, resting her head on his shoulder. Glynda looks at the Monkey Faunus, and the scar on his face and the one hidden by his buttoned up black shirt. Blake looks at her with sadness in her eyes, but not just over her dying, but more than that. “What is it?” Glynda asks her, and Blake sits up beside her boyfriend, sighing shakily.

“Ever since the White Fang…all I ever wanted to do was the right thing. I believed we were working towards equality, I then thought fighting them was the right thing. But…now a Huntsman working against us? I’m starting to struggle to tell the difference between right and wrong now…” She stammers, since Huntsmen and Huntresses are supposed to be among the most noble warriors in the world. People who always fought for good and would stop the evils in the world – and then Jack the Ripper attacked.

Those qualities…he did not have a single one of the ones that Glynda mention ed.

Instead of being courageous he ran.

Instead of using his strength for good, he used it for chaos.

And he burned his heroism into pure villainy.

What kind of Huntsman could commit such acts?

“And I thought I could throw myself into the role of a Huntress, fight for good, help both Humans and Faunus…because I thought I would be treated like everyone else. But this man…I don’t know what to do now.” Blake states, Sun gently squeezes her hand as he looks at her, supportively caring for her.

Glynda chuckles though at how melodramatic Blake always is over things. “Always so dramatic.” Glynda chuckles softly as she looks at her. “Listen to me…you saved Vale – three times. Fought together when nobody else could or would, you spat in the faces of the Black Gallows and showed them how heroic you really are. You are all…great people…and do not let this attack change you. The man who did this – The Ripper? He is a monster…a monster…of our making, not yours.” She states, and Ruby looks at her with concern.

“What do you mean?” Ruby inquires.

“We rather…mucked up the world with how we…did things. Maybe the Council were right about her, but I don’t know. All I know for certain – is that Jack the Ripper is nothing like you.” She promises as she holds Ruby’s hand gently and lovingly like a mother-figure would. “The world is changing, and Huntsmen and Huntresses are soon going to change. And we will never be able to go back. Our past…our mistakes…they are catching up to us, and I am afraid that you will be caught on the receiving end. So…please…follow these new rules when they are founded. The events today…they will enforce the new idea across every Academy. As much as you want to rebel and… _mail yourselves_ through the rules…” Glynda chuckles, remembering Ruby’s silly idea that Ozpin told her about when they were going to Mountain Glenn.

Ruby giggles but she is fighting the tears.

“…sometimes you have to play by them.” She says as she smiles, looking at Jaune and Pyrrha. “No more fake transcripts…no more charging head first into perilous situations…the world may be your oyster but there are terrifying beasts out there in the sea. And when I’m gone…I do not want to see any of you in the afterlife. If I do…I will give you detention.” Glynda jokes, making them laugh at the idea of making it all the way to heaven, only to be received with the yelling voice of Glynda.

But in a way…they would welcome it.

“You’re…you’re not gonna die.” Ruby sniffles.

“Honey…” Glynda softly says as she squeezes her hand. “I’m sorry…but I was never going to last forever. No Huntsman or Huntress dies in their bed…but I want all of you to be the first to do it.” Glynda says to them all. Ruby wipes the tears from her eyes as she looks at their loved teacher. But then she begins to cough in pain, blood leaking from her mouth. She looks at the blood on her hand, and then at them as Ruby wipes the blood away. “You are all…the best students…I have ever had the honour of teaching.” She says to them.

Ruby cries as she gently hugs her, and Glynda holds her close, kissing the sweet girl’s cheek. “I’d…like you to go outside now…I…would rather you didn’t see me like this.” She requests, and Ruby looks at her with tears in her eyes. Yang stands up and she holds her sister, being the strong one. Glynda smiles to all of them as they all reluctantly begin to leave her as they head towards the doors.

Her last words…will always live in their hearts. “Goodbye…and good luck.”

They sit outside her room, waiting for the sound as Ozpin sits by her bed, his head and arms over her lap as he is actually crying. Then they hear the sound they never wanted to hear.

The Flatline.

She’s gone…

Ruby breaks down, covering her bawling eyes as she cries and Cardin grits his teeth in anger, slamming his elbow into the wall with rage, the only way he can get his grief out. Ruby cries beside her team and Pyrrha buries her head into Jaune’s shoulder. Sun grits his teeth in anger, and he walks around the room with his hands behind his head.

Now Jackdaw has killed twenty-seven people.

Ruby then gets up and she storms out, running down the hall and Yang gets up, running after her. “Ruby!” She calls out, then Qrow walks into the room where Ozpin covers Glynda’s passed away body with the bed sheet, Winter and Eryka following him inside. Port closes the door behind him, and they look at Ozpin. Seeing his shaking fist and the tears that roll down his cheeks as he stands beside her.

“What do we do now?” Eryka asks, whilst Winter wipes the tears from her eyes, but Ozpin turns and glares right at Qrow. He knows this is not his fault – but this is still his brother, so he must be the one to track him down.

“Find him…and kill him.” Ozpin orders.

Outside, Ruby runs out into the falling rain, and Yang catches her, as she cries out in anguish, tears streaming down her cheeks. Yang, also teary eyed, strokes her baby sister’s hair lovingly as she holds her. “Sshh, it’s okay.” Yang whispers, and Ruby cannot even form words as she cries.

“S-She…she’s g-gone!” Ruby sobs, now losing yet another mother figure. But as they stand there, Yang feels her scroll vibrating, so she sighs and pulls it out, opening it just to cancel whoever is calling her.

That’s when she sees him.

A hacked in feed, of Jackdaw Branwen, with a dark background and his eyes glowing red with his top hat on his knee, slicked back jet-black hair and his black handlebar moustache. It is not a phone call though…it is a recorded message.

Then the two of them look around with horror as the holographic screens used to advertise the Vytal Festival and the Graduation Day suddenly have that same feed hacked into them. Every single media player starts displaying this message, his voice echoing like some kind of god. “I hope I made a good first impression on you.” Jackdaw greets with a smirk, his chilling voice making Ruby’s heartbreak turn to fury, gritting her teeth and her silver eyes glow furiously.

“You…” Ruby snarls with anger.

“Shame all those kids had to die…but only the few strongest ducklings survive to adulthood. So, their deaths had to come.” He states with the casual shrug of his shoulders. “But I have not come here to flaunt…I have come here to teach. That is what this school is for, is it not? Or is it for tearing kids apart, breaking their legs and triggering attacks that get countless innocents killed? Hard to tell the difference these days.” Jackdaw challenges with a cunning smirk on his face.

Yang’s tension on her scroll tightens but she closes it before she crushes it, but they can still hear and see him on the screens around them. “No…today I teach you the first lesson. The lesson of Truth.”

“Isn’t it funny how the truth can be such a fickle matter? Throw in some manipulation of the facts or merely omitting certain details and boom! Your truth has become a lie, but no matter how hard you try to hide it. How far you dig to bury the truth from the world and those you love, they will find it. It is inevitable, the only thing in life worth having is the truth.”

“People you call family, they may trust you with their lives, but can they trust you with their truth? That’s a matter deep in the flesh. Families can be cut as easily as skin, and you must cut deep to find the truth, the real truth.”

“I now speak directly to the black feathers. You know who you are, for you will find them where you lay your head. Those who find a black feather awaiting them, can leave the school and come for me. Anyone else so much as steps towards an exit, tries to call outside of the school, so much as thinks about contacting anyone outside these walls, will meet an explosive and fiery grave. My men posed as construction workers for four years now. They ate with you, drank with you, partied with you. They rebuilt your school from the ground up and laced it with explosives to raze it all over again.”

“Anyone without a feather tries to leave, anyone tries to disarm or meddle with the bombs, and Beacon becomes ashes.”

“Know this… children of Beacon. I have stabbed deep into the heart you call home. It bleeds, gushing red. And you. The red hood and the golden locks. Come claim the truth.”

“Class dismissed, children.”

 

 


	5. The Chimes of Valravn

**Killian**

“Hey mom…hey dad…”

Sat by their gravestone in the middle of a Mistraalian Graveyard is Commander Nathaniel Killian, his legs crossed like a child and his head hanging down as he closes his eyes. Warm sun shines upon his skin and his raspy breath cured by the dust pumped into his lungs thanks to that mechanical device attached to his neck to keep him alive. The mysteries behind what that device are still unknown, especially what caused him to need this advanced respirator. And why he must use the dust to stay alive…

But he does not even seem to be overly concerned about his health, only being here by the body of his long-lost mother.

_Eveline Killian_

_Patrick Killian_

_Loving Married Couple and Parents, cruelly taken away from this world too soon_

Killian never forgot what happened that day, it was the very thing that started his resentment for the Academies and how they work. How could he ever support the same people that caused this Mass-Murderer to escape the way he did, and not only that…manage to escape time and time again? He sits there and he scratches his stubble of black hair around his mouth. “Sorry I haven’t come by for a while…work’s been pretty stressful lately.” Killian tells their stone as he looks down at the grave that both his mother and father were buried together in.

There is really a part of him that expects to get an answer, but the other half knows that he will never get that luxury. No matter how hard he armours that heart of his, there is still that human being still inside of him, the person who lost his parents when he was merely a child. “I don’t know…how you would view me…for what I have become. I don’t know if you would be proud of disappointed in me, end of the day I don’t even know either.” Killian sighs as he scratches the back of his neck.

Still he sits there, hearing the chirping of birds in the trees, the distant whistling of the wind in the massive mountains that rise through the clouds in the distance. Very, very distant screeches of Eagles echoing from some of their hunting grounds, finding the dirty rodents that crawl through the emerald green vegetation beneath. Just like him, hunting the few, the dangerous people in the world alongside the good who just want to get on with their daily lives.

He stares at her name on the grave, clearly, he was closer to his mother than his father. His father was not a bad man, but he was always at work, meaning he and his son rarely managed to form a strong relationship.

“I...uh…can only imagine the stuff you would say to me now. You should talk more, go outside more, socialise…and I try. I’ve been going to this Veteran’s Home recently, seeing the soldiers there. Helps me…talk with people who get me, y’know? The Huntsmen and Huntresses don’t understand, although since that day, things have been getting better. More of the Academies have started to follow our idea. More discipline, more regulation…Beacon and Atlas aren’t being as easy. At least Ironwood has a lid on it…to some degree.” Killian scoffs as he taps his fingers atop his knee.

The insects buzz around the flowers constantly, and he waves one of them from his face. “It’s a damn lonely place without you guys though…and thirty years…it doesn’t get any easier.” Killian sighs as he looks around at the many other graves. Quite a lot of them are new around here, not as much weathering from the rain and the wind. Most likely from the amount of people who were killed from the Battle of Beacon, the live feed from the Vytal Festival caused attacks across the world in every single Kingdom.

Mistral was the one hit the worst, even more so than Vale, because of how wide spread it is. Entire Villages were wiped out by Grimm attacks and they struck the walls of the main city. It was only recently did the destroyed Villages get cleared of infestation thanks to the Mistraalian Military and the Huntsmen. The graves are all different size as well, some of them are huge for the wealthiest, looked after – whilst the older or the poorer are covered with leaves and practically forgotten. Killian’s parents may not have been very wealthy or powerful, but he would come here every single week to clean it up, or whenever he could.

The most chilling and heartbreaking graves are the smallest of them – children.

He looks at some of the child graves with wreathes of beautiful and colourful flowers at the foot of them…even after all the horrifying things he has seen in his career, it is the death of children that still haunts him. He sits there, and as soon as he stares at the grave, flashes of the events of his career hit him. Entire villages and settlements completely wiped out by the Hordes of Grimm; children killed by them…but the one that still terrifies him. Is the settlement that was wiped out by a mass suicide in order to not die an agonizing death at the teeth and claws of the Grimm.

The bodies…they still burn his memory.

Killian sighs, closing his eyes as the pictures of his past keep flashing into his eyes, he turns back to the grave of his parents. “Dunno how the two of you did it…managed to keep it all together.” Killian sighs, before he pushes his hand against his knee and rises back up. “But I know that I will never stop fighting. I can’t let any more innocents suffer because of Ozpin and the way he raises these warriors. They are too dangerous to keep fighting without proper authority behind them…otherwise innocents will keep dying…just like you did.” Killian promises, as he kisses his fingers and touches the top of their grave, sighing softly.

“I’ll see you soon Ma and Pop.” Killian says to them with a smile, before he turns and walks away from them. He leaves their grave behind and a crow lands atop it, softly cawing as it looks up at the sky, fluttering its little black feathers.

 

Every year feels like it is a decade for Killian, every day that passes feels like a month as well…

He walks towards the Veteran’s Home – named  _Garland’s Hope_  – named after a brave General during the Great War many years ago. General Garland was a powerful warrior who lead his forces in the fields of battle, and he never lost a single one. But the hardest battle he had to face was never on the field, it was actually after the war ended. He suffered from terrible Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and he kept seeing his fallen foes everywhere he went. His husband helped him through as much of it as he could, but Garland learned of many other soldiers who were suffering just like him. Garland decided he could best learn from his suffering with others, and he formed the first Veteran’s Home, that his group named after him and his hope for finding a cure for their nightmares.

It has spread across Remnant and is now a home for all soldiers from all walks of life to recover from their time of war.

Killian opens the door and he looks around, seeing all the people in there from different battles – and yet they are all fighting the exact same one. He walks past one Veteran with a peg leg, and he sees another with a deformed arm, and he overhears the conversations. “How’d you lose your leg?” The Veteran asks.

“Beowulf. Got dragged off from my team and he bit it right off, it hurt so bad. My team found me…but I still see the damned thing every single night. Feeling its claws and teeth where my leg was. Doctors brought me in, and they just gave me a peg leg.” The soldier explains as he taps the peg on the ground, and he sighs as he stares at it.

Killian looks at him and then at the other Veteran with his deformed and amputated arm. There is a similar problem with the poor soldiers that end up here, most of them are amputees from multiple different ways. Some of them lost their limbs from the Grimm or some of them from Rogue Huntsmen. But none of them ever get given the Cybernetic Augmentations that Huntsmen tend to get. It is one of the many reasons that the Puritan Followers use against the Academies, most of them are family for the Veterans and want them to get the augments that they deserve.

There are more problems surrounding the Academies than just the Huntsmen, but also the funds given to the Huntsmen over the soldiers who die. Most families are only given a small expense, one that can hardly help them deal with the costs of their death and most certainly cannot help ease their grief.

“What about you? What happened to your arm?” The Veteran asks him, and he looks at the arm, where it has bulged up around his elbow.

“Misfire from a Huntsman. When Mistral’s Walls were attacked by the Grimm I was on the front line, we were fighting them as best we could, but the Grimm kept coming. The Huntsmen eventually turned up, and one of them was using some kind of…Spear that transformed into a Rocket Launcher. He fired it at a Beringel, he hit it but didn’t check who was close to it. The explosion blew my arm apart, and my arm mutated from infection.” The soldier explains, still feeling the Phantom Pains from where his arm once used to be. The Veteran shows his sympathy, and Killian walks onwards.

As he walks past, he slows down and he sees a poster on the wall, that sums up what the soldiers who come here need to move past.

_You can fight a man, kill a Grimm, survive a wound._

_But the real fight?_

_It is against the Demons that follow you._

The Poster shows the soldier on one knee and his rifle in his hand, using it like a cane, with a shadow looming over him. “You like it?” A woman asks him, he turns and sees a very attractive Middle-Aged Woman approach him. She has long dark brown hair and brown eyes, with tanned skin and a scar on her neck – she also has the build of a soldier too. She is quite muscular on top of her athletic curves, wearing a camo shirt and some tan shorts…showing her prosthetic leg.

Like the others – a cheaply made plastic one.

She also has a few medals on her breast pocket, her hair is quite long, reaching down to the middle of her spine. Killian also notices another scar, one on her shoulder, but he cannot see her back, but it looks like it must go down it. She smiles as she looks at Killian. “You new here?” She asks him.

“No…I…uh…I’ve been here before, a couple times. I don’t remember seeing you here.” Killian says to her as he looks back at her.

“You must’ve shown up on the calmer days. Veronica Chamberlain.” She greets, opening her palm to shake his, and he accepts, shaking her firm hand – yet he can feel some of the calluses of war, the recoil of a rifle. “I handle the talks, a lot of the Veterans who come here…they just want to hear stories from people like them, y’know? It’s why I made this poster.” Veronica says as she looks at the poster on the wall, and Killian looks at it with her, he nods his head.

“It’s moving…and pretty accurate. Judging by your gear…you were military too?” Killian asks her.

“Mhm.” She agrees.

“What Division?” He inquires.

“Mistraalian Special Forces, Reconnaissance mostly. You?” She inquires – and Killian looks at her and he decides to partially tell the truth.

“Black Ops, Commander.” Killian answers.

Veronica passes a surprised expression to Killian. “We don’t get many Black Ops fellas around here.”

“Well, we have our own demons following us. Just some of the ones we have are not the same things as most of the people who come here.” Killian says to Veronica; she chuckles and nods her head.

“I can imagine, I’ve heard stories about what the Black Ops do…I won’t pry, since that’s the last thing I would want to do for someone coming here. Sometimes its best to just let the past die. Focus on what comes next.” She says with a smile, turning to some of the people that are talking.

“Does it work? The talks?” He asks.

“Sometimes. It depends on the problem; we get people on some days who just need to talk to people. Others find peace doing some target practice. I’ve always found that being around people who understand you is always the best way to fix people after a war.” Veronica explains as she points to a couple. “Did you know that these two never met until our sessions? His girlfriend was Bomb Disposal in Vacuo and he was a Sniper who served for the Valerian Special Forces. He was blinded from a flashbang by an ambush of Bandits, and she helped him – despite being bound to a wheelchair after a failed defusal.” Veronica explains, and Killian looks at them.

The happiness in their faces, despite the horrors that they have seen that have left scars. “He told me he wants to propose to her soon. I think they will be happy together.” Veronica says, and Killian smiles.

“Good to see some happiness around here…but these people…they deserve better. Better prosthetics and compensation for their pain.” Killian says.

“Tell me about it.” Veronica scoffs. “Damned Academies…sucking the Government’s Military Funding dry.”

Killian glances at her, noticing she clearly has similar views on the Academies as he does, then he notices her touching her leg as she sits down, the cheap plastic prosthetic that looks like it was merely a hand-me-down. There are even some scratched out signatures on it, ones that a woman like her would never have. It also looks like it is a bit too small for her, since she had manufactured an extension so then she can balance herself. “Did they just give that to you?” Killian asks her, as she sits down, she scoffs, and she taps the hollow plastic leg.

“Yup, it belonged to around five other soldiers before me. All five of them took their lives from the same problems I had. It was like they didn’t care enough to give me my own leg.” Veronica says as she stares at the cold lifeless hunk of plastic on her leg. Killian looks at it and he gently squeezes her shoulder.

“But you’re still here.” Killian reminds her, and she nods, smiling.

“Yeah…I am.” She agrees, which is when Killian turns his attention to the news broadcast on the television across the room. His eyes widen and Veronica notices her new friend’s colour drain from his face. She turns as well, and her eyes widen – she may not approve of the Huntsmen, but the news broadcast…even she cannot argue that what happened was a tragedy.

_Terrorist Attack in Beacon Academy_

_“A Rogue Huntsman – infamously known as Jack the Ripper – has been confirmed to be the killer that caused the attack. He slaughtered these people in droves, children and General James Ironwood from Atlas Academy. And more recently, Professor Glynda Goodwitch from Beacon recently passed away from her injuries. This is a terrible tragedy, but it still raises the question._

_Does Professor Ozpin need to be removed from Office for the way he has been handling things? This is not the first case of a Huntsman becoming a killer, betraying their code and spilling blood across the world. People who are a part of the new movement – the Puritan Followers – have spread their ideology far and wide and this event has given more fuel to the fire. Government Officials have increased numbers of signing the new Agreement._

_Jack the Ripper has since gone missing after the events of his attack, but he left behind this one message. Viewer’s beware, the following footage is quite disturbing._

The feed from Lisa Lavender cuts back to the threatening message that Jackdaw left behind.

_“Isn’t it funny how the truth can be such a fickle matter? Throw in some manipulation of the facts or merely omitting certain details and boom! Your truth has become a lie, but no matter how hard you try to hide it. How far you dig to bury the truth from the world and those you love; they will find it. It is inevitable, the only thing in life worth having is the truth.”_

_“People you call family, they may trust you with their lives, but can they trust you with their truth? That’s a matter deep in the flesh. Families can be cut as easily as skin, and you must cut deep to find the truth, the real truth.”_

_“I now speak directly to the black feathers. You know who you are, for you will find them where you lay your head. Those who find a black feather awaiting them, can leave the school and come for me. Anyone else so much as steps towards an exit, tries to call outside of the school, so much as thinks about contacting anyone outside these walls, will meet an explosive and fiery grave. My men posed as construction workers for four years now. They ate with you, drank with you, partied with you. They rebuilt your school from the ground up and laced it with explosives to raze it all over again.”_

_“Anyone without a feather tries to leave, anyone tries to disarm or meddle with the bombs, and Beacon becomes ashes.”_

_“Know this… children of Beacon. I have stabbed deep into the heart you call home. It bleeds, gushing red. And you. The red hood and the golden locks. Come claim the truth.”_

_“Class dismissed, children.”_

The report returns back to Lisa, who still looks quite shocked by the message that the madman had left behind.

_“A very worrying message, and one that has the people of Beacon Academy extremely terrified. Police have surrounded the Academy to prevent any students from leaving, and whether or not these mysterious Black Feathers will be answered is far from certain. We will keep you informed on any further updates as the situation unfolds.”_

The news continues to go on, leaving Veronica absolutely horrified for the poor children that were killed. The Huntsman Academies might have brought her and her people a great deal of pain for the favouritism that the students get over the military…but they never deserved what happened here. This was a Terrorist Attack, plain and simple, opinions on the matter will not change the horror of it.

All they can pray for now is that this monster…

Veronica turns to speak to Killian, only to see that he is gone. He has gone outside with his fist clenched in anger and pulling his scroll from his pocket and texting a number as he stands there. He waits for the response and as soon as the call is linked, he is filled with anger. “What the hell is this, Watts? I thought we agreed it wouldn’t happen during such a populated event? Graduation Day?” Killian growls with anger, and Watts chuckles softly on the other side of the call.

“He got the job done. That is Ironwood and Ozpin’s little bird taken out of the picture. And the world is free of a few more Huntsmen and Huntresses. Thought that was what you wanted?” Watts questions with a scoff in his voice as he stands outside of Salem’s Sanctum halfway across the world. The distant screeches of Nevermores echoing in the distance.

“No, I did not ask for  _this_! I wanted there to be as little bloodshed as possible and killing Ironwood and Glynda does not solve anything! It just makes things harder.” Killian states.

“That so? Why did you threaten him then? After the battle?” He asks him.

“Oh, for crying out loud, it was a spur of the moment thing. I was pissed – I never wanted the man dead though. And with him dead, that will leave Atlas vulnerable and could stir up panic. Worse than that though, both he and Glynda could have kept the situation calm as we added the new Regulations to the Academies. Would have been less messy.” Killian explains as he walks across the field, unaware that Veronica is standing by a window, seeing him walk away on his Scroll.

“Jackdaw did as he was commanded, to damage the Academies and their reputation further. I hardly see the problem.” Watts states.

“Oh, I dunno, maybe the fact that killing an Academy’s Headmaster – one who was actually on the council and held two seats – who could have signed the deal like Leo and Dorothy did? Atlas would be secured and all that would have remained would have been Ozpin. And if Glynda could have had time to see things more clearly, she could have convinced Ozpin.” Killian explains as he walks around, sweating with anger. “Instead, both of them are dead and a bunch of students – which now will mean more grieving families. Don’t get me wrong, I want Ozpin stopped as much as you. But I have told too many grieving families about dead loved ones. I would rather that happen less.” Killian states as he stands there.

“You almost sound like you’re on their side, Killian.” Watts scoffs.

“Don’t twist my words, Arthur. You know where I stand, as long as we keep the casualty level as minimal as possible.” Killian explains as he slows down, pacing back and forth. Watts falls silent, which is always quite a disturbing feeling since he is Salem’s Second Adviser, and most probably her favourite.

Then finally he speaks again. “Fine, continue your work Killian. If you can get the Huntsmen Academies on our side, then it will make Salem’s job at ruling the world much easier. End of the day, the people are not safe as long as Ozpin is leading.” Watts explains, and Killian sighs.

“Good, nobody else needs to die.” Killian states.

“But remember, you have until the end of the summer to get this done. If you don’t, then we have no choice but to start the Inhumane Necessity.” Watts tells Killian, causing the Black Gallows Commander to pause in his tracks.

“No…”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The Inhumane Necessity is a Last Resort, we agreed.” Killian states.

“It is. But I’m afraid we’re running out of time, and Salem’s patience is wearing thin.” Watts reminds him, sending a cold chill down Killian’s spine. “You have until Fall. If your plan does not work, then the Inhumane Necessity is our only option.” Watts states.

Killian stammers as he stands there.

“Really forcing my hand here, aren’t you?” Killian scoffs.

“Then you better get cracking.” Watts tells him, and he hangs up on his scroll, leaving Killian with that statement on his mind. He tightens his grip on the scroll and he looks around, before contacting his men.

“This is Dark Eclipse. Bring the Shadow of Broken Promises to Beacon Academy A.S.A.P.” Killian orders. “Lock it down, nobody leaves without my say so.”

 

**Yang**

The mood is universal here at Beacon, as everyone is recovering from the deaths of the poor people.

Yang is standing outside of the Dormitory Block, her eyes watching the flashing red and blue sirens of the Police Force that are standing guard outside. They have been watching their every move and making sure that nobody tries to leave the Academy Grounds. End of the day, Jackdaw’s threat could well and truly be legitimate due to the people he had under his command. The fact they never ever suspected those Construction Workers is actually quite terrifying. She presses her hands to her face and rubs the exhaustion from her eyes. They saw the aftermath of his attack, but it was Glynda’s death that really hurt the most. She rubs her eyes and then she walks away from their repaired Dorm Room. It is exactly the same, the bunk beds to the books – but none of them want to enter it.

The Academy feels alien to them now that Glynda is gone, but even the death of Ironwood has struck a painful chord in them. He came back and he fought beside them, like he was one of them. For an Atlesian he was nothing like they were stereotyped to be, he was caring and selfless…and he deserved to die in a more heroic fashion. Not being murdered in a surprise Terrorist Attack by the hands of a madman.

Yang walks away from the Dorm Room, seeing the Press Interviewing Professor Port and other staff members of the deaths, and some of the wounded students are being tended to by the Ambulance Crews who arrived on the scene. Tape surrounding the bomb zone and investigators look at it. Yang has overheard the explanations of what that Droid was – it was one of the Atlesian Knights that was corrupted by the Black Queen during the First Battle of Beacon. Jackdaw must have modified it, planted a bomb inside it, because the glitch they saw was actually recorded by some of the engineers who studied the bots after they were infected. Some of them were showing abnormal behaviour – but nothing like that. No kid’s voice coming through the auditory systems before, that was something else.

Yang heard the stories of the droid, a few people saw it, because there were still some people in the buildings nearby, wounded from the blast. And not only that – they are in luck. Yang can hear Cardin speaking with his team about it. “Did you hear? One of the Construction Workers is still alive, he hasn’t woken up yet.” Cardin tells his team.

“You kidding? Why the hell is his heart still beating?” Russel growls with anger.

“Qrow says he wants to interrogate the bastard. Hate to say it but I’ll happily beat the crap out of him.” He states.

“I’m with ya on that.” Russel snarls.

Yang keeps walking, heading straight for the Food Hall where the rest of her team are currently at. She passes by the detectives that investigate the scene, marking the spots where Glynda and Ironwood, and others around the roof where Peony was killed. The feathers collected down on the ground where they took her body down. She approaches the Food Hall, finding more Officers inside alongside her friends. The rest of her Team stand there, helping clean up the mess. Sun and Neptune are also using some flannels to wipe up the blood from the wall where Yatsuhashi was pinned.

It is messed up, having to clean up their friend’s blood like this. Yang walks over and she gently ruffles her little sister’s hair. “Hey…” She greets.

“Yang…this is horrible…” Ruby sniffles, staring at the boot imprints on the ground where Jackdaw must have landed. The hole in the floor where he stabbed Brawnz through the throat, bloodstains covering the ground. Scrapes across the floor as well where blades were constantly being swung. And like the location where Peony was killed, the feathers that Jackdaw launched are piled up on the floor. Some of them covered with blood still, and all cracked and damaged due to his armour. But it still did not save him from the deadly swing of his Fatal Blades.

“Gods…this is horrible.” Blake softly says.

“What do we do now? The Police Force has cracked down on securing the area. Nobody is allowed out. Hell, they have brought some Trucks with food to keep us fed until the situation is secured.” Weiss explains, pointing to some of the lorries that have arrived. At least they have decided to do that for them, especially after some of the flak that these Academies have received in the past few years.

Even after everything.

“I’m not sure, that Jack the Ripper guy made his message pretty clear. Not sure what he meant by those  _Black Feathers_.” Ruby says as she turns to her team, that spark of leadership igniting once more.

“You think he was speaking literally?” Yang inquires.

“C’mon, you heard the way he was speaking. He’s gotta have some sort of spin on those words. You think he has backup?” Ruby wonders.

“Wouldn’t surprise me. If he could get his men to disguise and work as Construction Workers the whole time, the odds of him having some other allies is not that unlikely.” Blake states, then they all turn to hear the voice of Jaune, calling something very worrying out.

“Guys!” Jaune calls, so they turn and walk other to what both he and Nora had managed to uncover. Everyone approaches the wall, damaged from the battle between Jackdaw and the four who were in here. The crack caused some parts of the wall to crumble, and thus revealing something very startling. “Look…”

“Explosives…” Weiss gasps with horror, seeing the Dust Bombs mixed into the cement that they put on the damages after the Battle of Beacon. They look around with widened eyes, knowing that this means that every single patched area of the school has explosives laced into them.

“The Ripper wasn’t lying.” Ruby whimpers.

“We can’t disarm it, they’ll blow.” Jaune states as he pushes his hands through his blonde hair. Weiss looks at the bombs…and she can see a familiar symbol in them.

“It’s Atlas Tech.” Weiss comments.

“She’s right.” Winter says as she looks at the bombs, walking in from behind them with Eryka by her side. She has recovered from her breakdown of grief, and she approaches the bombs inside of the wall. “But I don’t recall any recent shipments, even before the Battle of Beacon. Only the ones that Torchwick stole.” Winter comments.

“Anything before?” Eryka asks her.

“Possibly…I will have to run through the files. Data history, anything. He would have been planning this for a while though – must have known we would survive the attack.” Winter explains.

“Or planned on it in case we did.” Sun says as he jumps down from the ladder that he was using to clean up the blood on the wall.

“The guy is prepared; I’ll give him that.” Eryka scoffs, and Ruby glares at her with a bit of disgust, but Eryka does not even respond. End of the day that is Eryka’s way, she tends to find some respect for her enemies – at least then you are not surprised by every terrible thing that they end up doing.

Yang goes to take out her scroll but then she stops, remembering that their scrolls have been taken away from them by the Police. And that is something they can completely understand, since all it would take is someone going to call their mother for it to set all the bombs off. Yang however cannot stay in this building for much longer…it hurts to just see the place of which so many of her friends were killed at. “I’m gonna go get some air.” She sighs, walking to the doors and she pushes them open, walking outside, seeing more of those damned Puritan Followers preaching their words constantly.

She crosses her arms and leans against the wall, until she hears the sound of someone in heels approaching. She turns her head and looks at her, seeing this woman approach. What she does not realise is that this same woman was in Vale the day the Second Battle of Beacon hit, when the Black Smog attacked Vale, she was pregnant and saw so many people die. Now however she is thinner and has a four-year-old child. Her hair tied behind her head; she turns to look at Yang. “It’s terrible what happened here.” She says to Yang.

“Yeah…” Yang sighs as she looks down at the floor. “Still taking it all in, y’know?” Yang asks her.

“Some people say that it takes one traumatic event in their lives to help them see the world more clearly. A Terrorist Attack or a Grimm Attack…it makes no difference either way.” She says, and Yang raises a brow as she glances back at the woman. “But now you know…”

“Excuse me?” Yang questions, pushing herself off the wall.

“Now you know how it feels. To be helpless…begging that the heroes would come and save you…when they are just hiding in their towers.” The woman says to her, and Yang is totally bewildered. She reaches into her purse and pulls out a family photograph, showing it to her. She points at three men, one of them younger than her, another much older and one the same age.

Yang looks at the picture and then at the woman. “These two? They were my brothers…and my youngest brother Paul? He was killed by Grimm when they first invaded these streets. My twin and my Uncle though? They were killed in the second attack…right in front of me…eaten alive.” She describes, and Yang closes her eyes with sadness, and she is about to say she is sorry – until the next words that come out of her mouth.

“And their blood is on your hands, Yang Xiao Long.” She states, and Yang’s blood runs cold.

“What?” She questions softly.

“We were all watching the Vytal Festival Feed when you did what you did. You broke that boy’s leg for no reason, then that Nikos Girl ripped the other girl apart. You both have their blood on your hands for what you did…but don’t worry…I know none of that means a thing to you.” The woman says to her with resentment in her eyes, staring Yang directly into her soul. “You Huntsmen and Huntresses…you claim you fight for us…but look at them all. All those men and women? They have lost family, children and friends because of what you did. You and Pyrrha Nikos caused that attack.”

“Ma’am…I…”

“I have met so many brave soldiers, soldiers who cannot walk again – and they give  _you_  a cybernetic augmentation? Why should you be treated any different?” She questions. Yang cannot even find the words as she glances down at her yellow and black cybernetic arm. “These Academies…you all get such special treatment, whilst the heroic men and women who serve get nothing in return for their actions.”

“No…” Yang softly says, only for the woman to interrupt her again.

“How many more must die until you start following the rules? My brothers and my Uncle are dead…and for that? I blame you.” She says.

The woman turns and walks away from her, leaving Yang with that picture in her hand, and tears well up in her eyes.

Because she feels so hated…

…so alone…

 

**Raven**

Directly after Jackdaw’s attack…

There was a cold snap to the air. It bit at the skin, rose goose flesh and stood hairs. Either the whipping winds whistling through the camp caused the effect on the flesh, or it was the creeping whispers climbing up Raven's spine.

"Valravn."

"Valravn!"

"Vaaaaal...ravn."

She stood with her arms crossed, jet black locks whipping round her neck with each harsh gust. She blinked at the tall tent before her, the dark innards laid bare through the opened flap. Wooden wind chimes clattered and clinked with a dull echo above the tent entrance. A deep inhale within drew a sharp breath from her, and the long exhale aimed at her spat rolls of silvery smoke along the sand.

"I need to talk with you... Valravn."

"To speak the name... till the crows fly home, and the Ravens lay flayed... food... for the Jackdaws."

"Quit the riddles, Val." Raven snapped, placing one hand on her hip, the other on her sheath. "Step out here."

"VALRAVN!" another sharp whisper ripped up her spine and even drew a gasp from her. The winds whipped around her, storm clouds gently swirling in the dull sky above. All the moving drafts shot across the sands, into the tent, to the red eyes peering back from in the dark. The wind chimes grew louder and louder, until they stopped, and the winds died.

"You can't hide anymore, Val." Raven said slowly, her rage now under some sort of restraint. The writhing clouds above began to dissipate, and beams of sunlight shot down into the camp.

"Hide? In the camp the jackdaws wish to blitz? Do you feel it too? That chill in the air? To hide in the gaps between your enemies toes? Under the shadows of their beaks? Feathers separated spiral to the ground... but together?"

Suddenly a barrage of black cawing ravens erupted from the tent, flying out at Raven in a cloud that blocked the sun's rays. She yelped and shielded her eyes, looking up over her arms as the tall, spindly, almost skeletal old man leaned out and stood from the tent entrance.

"...They let us fly!"

In the smog of cawing birds, his beady red eyes peered back at her through the white tribal mask, similar to hers. Like a Native American headdress, the mask had a tall and frightening mane of black feathers. Raven stood tall and firmed her lip as the spiralling birds began to dissipate and dissolve into single black feathers. Eventually, only she and Valravn stood.

Many whispering voices, all repeating the name "Valravn" echoed over each other in her head whenever she had too long exposed to Valravn. She blinked slowly to soothe her aching temples.

He stood on long metal stilts, kept balanced by his eight-foot-long staff, musical as the wood chimes at the head clattered with each step he took. Long black and red robes wrapped around his wiry frame as he paced around Raven.

"Enough theatrics, Val. Jackdaw. My brother and your nephew. He's back."

"Mmm. Dust disturbed does eventually resettle."

"You not nervous?" Raven scoffed, hands on her hip and sheath. "He'll come for you too, you know? Come for us all."

"Sniff the winds. Tint of copper carried on the wings of air." Valravn chuckles, shaking his head and rattling the wind chimes around his neck and adorned on his headdress. "He's already drawn Qrow's blood."

"What?" Raven stiffened as Valravn turned to his tent. "Hey! What'd you say?"

"Qrow's blood taints the air, Jackdaws feathers carved Beacon to dirt. My ravens say as such. They feast. On the carrion of huntsmen anew."

"Is Qrow dead?" Raven snapped, pacing up to the retreating Valravn. "Val! Answer me!"

Valravn paused as his head slipped into the tent’s shadows. He exhaled, and shoots of spiralling silver smoke vented from small holes along the mask. He turned, red eyes glowing back.

"Blood spilt is blood spilt. But a soul? That stays inside." Valravn chuckled grimly, backing into the tent with a creepy slinky motion, that bone white mask and red eyes staring at her even as it slipped into the shadows. Raven panted; eyes wide as the whispers of Valravn faded from her head.

 

 


	6. The Interrogation

**Pyrrha**

Sitting down in the Locker Room, the very same place she first spoke to Jaune, she holds Milo in her hand. She finds this need to constantly clean her blade. She can hear the repetitive pounds of Cardin’s Mace being slammed downwards. Over and over again, his teeth gritted and anger in his eyes as he sits there, filled with heartbreak and rage as he wants to just kill the people who killed Glynda and Ironwood. Peony and Yatsuhashi. Everyone who died, for absolutely nothing whatsoever, and she also has that same anger.

But she does not want any blood on her hands, she just wants to bring Jack the Ripper to justice once and for all.

On the other end of the spectrum though there is the stress that the Puritan Followers have been forcing upon them, with these horrible things that they have been spreading constantly with every day that passes. The previous four years have been quite difficult with the pressure that this group has been putting on their shoulders.

Pyrrha closes her eyes, and remembers back to a time between the end of the Black Smog and the arrival of Jackdaw Branwen.

She was training with her father, fighting alongside Jaune, both swords and shields in hand as they sparred with Anaximander. And even though they have grown taller since the first time Jaune met her massive father, he still towered above them. His sword and shield in his grasp, identical to Milo and Akoúo, only his carried more prestige with the golden accents alongside the crimson steel upon it as well. His shield also, more gold than crimson like Pyrrha’s. He stood before them, his feet far apart and body at the ready.

Jaune and Pyrrha both rushed forward, slashing their blades at him, but he slid across the dirt, swinging round to slam his sword into the blade of Crocea Mors. Jaune’s firm grasp stopped the impact with a metallic crash, but due to how much larger and stronger Anaximander was in comparison to him, the impact nearly knocked Jaune onto the floor. As he staggered back, Pyrrha jumped up, pushing herself off a crate and spinning through the air, slashed downwards at her father. He then spun around and pushed the sword upwards, transforming into a Spear that threw her up in the air, crashing back down into the ground with a bounce.

Anaximander chuckled as he spun the spear through his fingers. “Nice try, now come on. Enough of this playful banter, show me what you’ve got.” Anaximander challenged as he paced across the dirt that lies across the floor. Pyrrha rolled onto her back and she blew out a breath, the exhale flicks the red hair from her eyes. She then stared at her father as he approached her, staring down with his arms behind his back. “Or have you given up already?” He asked her, knowing exactly how to push his daughter’s buttons.

Pyrrha scoffed. “Not even the slightest.” Pyrrha replied, pushing her back and her hands against the dirt, sending her feet straight into his chest, kicking him back. Anaximander grunts as he staggered back, but then a smirk of enjoyment brands his face as he stood before his daughter, watching as she jumped back up to her feet, pulling Milo and Akoúo back to her grasp with her Polarity. They land right into her hands, her emerald eyes staring him down. Anaximander turned, seeing Jaune with his shield raised and sword aimed his way behind him, using the Phalanx Stance that the Nikos Spartans always used.

“Nice stance, Arc. Let’s see what the two of you have learned.” He chuckles, spinning the spear through his fingers, watching both of them. They both make their attacks, charging at the same time, instead of one at a time. Jaune thrusts forward with his sword, but Anaximander bats the blade aside with his spear, and swings upwards to deflect Pyrrha’s shield launched towards him. It bounces across the floor, but as her polarity surrounds her shield it comes flying right back, launched right into the side of Anaximander’s face. He grunts, then Jaune made his attack, jumping and slamming his knee into the side of his face, causing the older Nikos to stagger across the floor.

Standing nearby with her Data Pad on her lap was Juno, watching them train, a smile on her face as she sees how happy her daughter is. She has so much respect for Jaune and cares a lot for him because of how happy he has managed to make her little girl.

Anaximander guffawed with enjoyment as he sparred with the two of them, blocking Pyrrha’s incoming strike with his shield, a deafening metallic bang erupting from the impact of her fist colliding into the armoured shield. He swung against her, knocking her back, she spins through the air and lands on her feet, throwing her own shield towards her father, but he moves aside. Only for Jaune to open up his shield, bouncing her shield right back into the back of Anaximander’s head. Pyrrha charged towards her father and she leapt up into the air, spinning her leg round and kicking him in the head.

She landed before him, and he smirks, she goes to attack, but he grabbed his spear and swung it across her leg, before spinning round and launching it at Jaune, pinning him to the wall by his hoodie. He steps down on Pyrrha, beating her despite the fact that – if you go down, you stay down. Pyrrha stared up at him with disbelief. “What? You cheated.” Pyrrha strains.

“Nay, I adapted.” He corrects, taking his boot from her chest and offering his hand to her. Jaune pulled the spear from his hoodie and he walks over to them.

“Adapted?” She questions.

“You must learn to adapt, my dear. It is incredibly important, especially in combat. Say you are fighting a foe whose skills do not match to your own – but they are a fast learner? Suddenly they can defeat you by predicting your every move. And you cannot expect your enemy to follow the rules of combat, sometimes you need to expect anything.” Anaximander explains as he walked around them, leaving the two of them close, seeing as he picks up a rag and wipes the sweat from his forehead.

They were not stupid, they could see what he was getting at a mile away.

“You’re talking about Killian, aren’t you? What happened last year?” Pyrrha asks him, since this was a year after the events of the Black Smog.

“I am…I believe you, both of you.” Anaximander explained as he sat down, so the two Hunters sat down beside him. “And I am proud of you.” He says to Pyrrha as he rubs his thumb gently across her cheek to get the dirt from her face. “But the world is changing once again, and this time I am afraid that the Huntsmen Academies might not exist by the end of it. The things that Killian achieved last year…he managed to turn a large portion of the population against the Academies and Ozpin.” Anaximander explained.

“All we need is to show them what kind of a man Killian really is.” Jaune stated, but Anaximander shook his head.

“No, Jaune. I have lived a long life, and I have seen politicians rise and fall. But Politicians always answer to someone, and it is always the people who work in the shadows. Politicians are merely faces for people to link the changes of their lives to. But it has always been the work of people like the Black Gallows. You need to understand that they do things that nobody else is equipped to handle and have information on matters that we could never understand.” Anaximander explained, even he has no idea of what kind of things that the Black Gallows know.

“But the people will rise up when they know the truth. That he used Jaymes like a weapon to prove his own selfish points.” Pyrrha presumed.

“People will follow strongest group, not the weakest few. And I’m afraid that a few students and teachers from an Academy that has been infamous for its mistakes over the years…would not carry much weight.” Anaximander explained to the two of them, who feel so small at the mere idea of that.

But he is right, Beacon is not the only part of Vale that has been nailed down with scrutiny but the Bureaucracy of Vale as a whole. Arrogance has always been the number one word used, alongside Atlas but they at least understand the way in which things work. Vale has ignored these signs for years and refuse to use the same Kingdom Defences that Atlas and the Black Gallows provide.

It caused the Battle of Beacon the first time around, and if they set them up after – the Black Smog might never have been able to break through as easily as they did.

Pyrrha touched her red hair. “There’s a change in the wind now, and I do not want to see the two of you be blown away. You must learn to plant your feet, find a new area to dig deep into. Adapt – change with the way things change, whether you like or agree with it…or not. And besides, Killian’s rule may not be as bad.”

“He wants to take away our individuality.” Jaune reminded.

“He did – but he came back after the Grimm attack worsened and helped save Vale. Do you really think he did that for no reason at all? Risked his men like that? He is a Commander – Black Ops as well – but he is still a human being. I personally believe he realised his mistake and went back to change it, I doubt he has changed his end goal – but maybe his methods are changing.” Anaximander explained to the two of them, before he gently squeezes their shoulders. “You’re strong…and I want the best for both of you.”

Those words still stick with her now, as her memory fades away, and she sits there with Milo still on her lap as she waits. She came inside because she wanted to do something, all this sitting around and waiting for something to change will do nothing for them. But as she sits there, she knows there is another reason. She could not be around the crime scene any longer, the body bags being taken away to the morgues so then they can be prepared for their funerals. It is not something you ever get used to, which is why she had to get inside. But the other reason, is something that is a new development.

A new Repair Team has arrived at Beacon to fix the damages left behind from Jackdaw’s attack. But after what the Construction Crew before them did, killing up to twenty people with their Atlesian Weapons collected from the crashed Airships from the Battle of Beacon, everyone is on edge. She has seen members of Team C.R.D.L drawing weapons and yelling at them, demanding that they stay back. Normally Pyrrha would see that as an overreaction, but considering what the Construction Crews did to them, after everything, it has left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths.

Their fear of the Construction Crews though could cause another problem, yet another side effect of civilians not knowing the full story. She saw some civilians snapping pictures of Dove aiming his sword at one of the Repair Crew Members, which will probably appear on the news soon.

_Huntsman threatens civilian after attack! New rule needs to be placed soon!_

It makes her blood boil, whether or not Killian’s rule could fix the problems the world has been facing for years, it really does not seem like it is worth it in the grand scheme of things.

The pounding of Cardin’s Mace continues, her eyes glance to see him sat across the locker room from her – the only other person in here. He keeps slamming it down again and again into the floor, denting the tiles with his other fist clenched, tears welling up in his eyes. He was doing it before she even entered, he must have been in here for half an hour. Glynda’s death hit Cardin pretty hard, because he always had a lot of respect for her – and she didn’t deserve to die the way she did. Killed by an explosion thanks to a madman, hellbent to spilling blood everywhere he goes.

Pyrrha huffs, pulling Akoúo into her hand and she fits it onto her clip, on her back, and she holds Milo in her hand. She approaches Cardin and looks down at him, she also has that same detached expression on her face. “Come on.” Pyrrha says to him, and then he stops pounding the mace into the floor finally. He looks up at Pyrrha with confusion in his eyes.

“What?” He asks.

“Come with me. Spar with me, I know you need to take your anger out on something.” Pyrrha says to him, pointing Milo down the hallway to the same arena that she destroyed his team that one time in a sparring match. He stops and he sighs, pushing his body against the mace to get up.

“Fine.” He says, walking past Pyrrha and heading down the hallway. Pyrrha lets him pass, then she looks down the hallway to hearing the sound of Professor Port nearby…crying. Glynda’s death has hit everyone extremely hard, losing Ironwood was difficult and so were their friends…but it was Glynda that stabbed the deepest. She looked after them, helped them become the warriors they are now.

Pyrrha closes her eyes, then she wipes a tear from her eye, following Cardin into the arena. Normally filled with other students observing the fights, to learn from them and see their failings – now it is just empty. No teachers watching, no screens up, just their own meters on their wrists. That was a new development that the Academies created, in case the Huntsmen either lose or have their scrolls broken in some way – these bracelets project a holographic screen of their aura level. That way it is always on show no matter where they are or what position they are in.

Cardin stands inside of the Arena with his Mace in his grasp, whilst Pyrrha draws Milo and Akoúo. She stares him down as he stands there, and they circle one another. “I know you’re angry, Cardin…but we’re here for you, just talk to us.” Pyrrha requests, but Cardin roars with anger and he sprints straight at her and he swings the mace at her with great force, slamming it down into the ground. The Fire Dust Crystal inside of the Mace detonates, blasting flames towards her. Pyrrha jumps back, flipping through the air to avoid the explosive impact of his huge mace. As she twirls in the air she lands on her feet, staring him down, before throwing Akoúo at him, but he punches it out of the air, swinging it horizontally at her. She slides under the swing and slashes Milo across his aura protected legs.

Cardin howls, taking his Mace with both hands and smashing it down at where she is low to the ground, missing but as she goes to kick him, he catches her heel, and he throws her across the room. Pyrrha slams against the wall and grunts, falling onto her front, looking up to see Cardin charging towards her, and he continues to vent that anger that has been building up inside of him, jumping towards her and slamming that mace down at where she was. Pyrrha rolls out of the way and with her polarity she pulls Akoúo right back and she jumps as it returns, kicking it towards him. It bounces off his head and returns back to her palm.

Pyrrha flips through the air, as elegant as an angelic ballerina, and she lands down on her feet, lifting her head fast. Her tail of red hair bounces from the movement and she transforms Milo into its Rifle form, firing a few rounds at Cardin. He spins his Mace through his fingers, deflecting the bullets that came shooting towards him, before he swings the mace at her, blasting an arc of fire towards her. She cartwheels away from the attack of fire, and she throws Akoúo towards him again, and he smacks it out the air and rushes towards Pyrrha again.

Pyrrha rushes towards him as well, she jumps and slams her knee up his jaw and she kicks him in the chest with both feet, flipping back before dashing forward again. She slashes and jabs with Milo in its spear form, before she spins on the spot and extends it into Spear form. She thrusts forward and slams the spearhead into his chest, knocking him back. He tumbles across the ground with a grunt, and he goes to swing the mace again, only for Pyrrha to shoot it from his hand, firing a round through the spearhead as it opens up. He watches it fall from his grasp and bounce across the floor, rolling until it stops against the wall.

Pyrrha sprints towards him, pulling Akoúo right back as she goes for another attack, but Cardin quickly grabs his mace and swings round, slamming it into Pyrrha’s chest. It sends her flying back and smashing across the arena wall, until she rolls to a stop. Cardin punches one of his pectoral plates, and he runs at her again, sweating from both excess and anger. He jumps up and slams the mace down at where she was. She rolls aside and she bounces off the wall into him, tackling him and she pushes her knees into his arms to hold him down.

She leans down and stares at him.

She stares, then they both chuckle…because they both just noticed their aura level.

They just hit the red.

“She would’ve warned us by now…” Cardin scoffs, and Pyrrha rolls off him. She pushes her armoured knee against the floor as she looks at Cardin, sitting up and wiping his tears away from his eyes.

“She’d probably be berating us right now as well. Wrong foot placement there, keep your weapon up here.” She lists with a soft giggle.

“What I would give to hear that woman’s voice yell at me one more time.” Cardin chuckles with a heavy sigh, shaking his head. “It’s not right.”

“I know…and I’m angry too.” Pyrrha says as she looks at her shaking fist. “The man that did this – Jack the Ripper? He needs to be stopped, but if we give into our anger…he’s just gonna win.” Pyrrha reminds as she looks at Cardin, and he sighs, nodding his head.

“Thanks for the pep talk.” Cardin says to Pyrrha, and she gets up, patting his shoulder.

“Any time.” She assures, walking away from him.

 

**Qrow**

Sat on the edge of the Fountain in the Courtyard is the Branwen Brother, his wounds healing still from his battle against Jackdaw Branwen. He grunts as he rolls his aching shoulder, something that has still been giving him some problems since his fight and when he went crashing into the bar like that to get into cover from Jackdaw’s arrival. As he sits there though, Winter walks over and she sits down next to him.

“You alright? Haven’t actually asked you yet, since you fought him.” Winter asks curiously.

“I’ll live…” He groans, rubbing his shoulder which still has some pretty nasty bruising. His aura may have done a good job with healing the serious damage but there is still some residual pain left over, which makes sense after all.

“I gathered that, I meant _how you’re doing_?” She repeats, and that helps him figure out that she means mentally. He looks ahead, she does not know for certain that he is related to the Ripper but she can tell that he shook the old Huntsman up. “You know him, don’t you?” Winter asks.

“You could say that.” Qrow sighs.

“Who the hell is he?” She asks him.

“No, I’m not getting anyone else involved. Too many people have been involved already. Just stay out of this, alright?” He asks her.

“Alright…alright…” Winter sighs.

Qrow sighs. “Sorry…still a bit raw is all.” Qrow apologises.

She turns to the two coffees that she brought with her and she offers one of them to her. “Coffee?” She asks him, and he looks at her and smiles.

“Thanks.”

“I hope you like it without sugar, I forgot it for Eryka.” Winter says.

“Eh, I don’t mind either way.” Qrow shrugs.

“Prefer it with Vodka?” She presumes.

“Nah, doesn’t taste as good as I hoped.” Qrow replies, then there is a beat where Winter noticed the little story behind that statement.

“Wait…”

“Long story.” Qrow assures as he waves it aside, and Winter sighs. Qrow drinks some of his coffee and he looks out at the City of Vale, seeing the Airships with the _#RemoveOzFromOffice_ on them. “This whole thing is a mess.”

“I know…Eryka and I went out for dinner last night, she said it took her ages to find one that accepted her Huntress Badge.” Winter explains with a sigh.

“Same, most bars kick Huntsmen and Huntresses out now. Or some stores don’t let us in, hell walk down certain roads and you just get dirty looks.” Qrow replies as he remembers some of his experiences.

“All it takes is some bad publicity…and bam…whole world is taking up arms against you.” Winter scoffs as she rolls her blue eyes, and he nods his head.

“It’s gonna get a lot worse before it gets better, you know that right?” He asks her.

“That’s step number one in the Atlesian Specialist Programme.” Winter chuckles, which makes Qrow chuckle as well.

But then their eyes flit up to the sky and they both stand up when they see it.

“I hate it when I’m right.” Qrow sighs, as they both watch the bright flash in the sky. The sky seems to be torn open, black energy pouring out from the opening and they see it – the Shadow of Broken Promises – the Black Gallows Flagship. Jet black and larger than any Atlesian Airship they have ever seen. As it floats in the sky, Winter grits her teeth and she draws her sword, but Qrow does not. He just walks forward, seeing a bunch of Black Gallows Wasp Gunships descending from the ship and headed their way. And a few Dropships alongside them as well, already setting up defences to keep the students inside to prevent the bombs from going off.

The lead Wasp descends to where they are, blowing the dust across the ground and the landing gear folds out. It approaches the ground and sets down, the thrusters shut down slowly with a hum. And then the rear door opens, and there he stands. Commander Nathaniel Killian, and he walks out of the Wasp, but Winter casts a Glyph behind her and grits her teeth with her blade in her grasp. “Got some nerve coming back here, Killian.” Winter snarls, she never forgot the stunt he pulled four years ago.

“And you have some nerve to draw your blade on a Black Gallows Command-”

Before he can even finish, Dulcis suddenly dives down and starts screeching and slashing his claws at his face to hurt him. Killian waves his hands around to get the Eagle from his face until he just resorts to drawing his Revolver and pointing it at the bird. He had no intention to shoot the bird, just to get it to leave him alone. That’s when he also sees her, Eryka sprinting towards them and firing an arrow. Qrow spins round and he manages to catch the arrow before it could get to Killian. He then stops Eryka.

“LEMME AT HIM! I WANNA SHOVE HIS HEAD UP HIS OWN ASS!” Eryka yells as she lunges forward, her aggressive desires quite literally makes Killian flinch.

He’s had many threats thrown his way…but never that before.

“Get back!” Qrow orders as he shoves the blue haired Hunter back, but she draws her bow once again, trained on his head, she could kill him now, but that could start something else. “The hell are you doing here, Killian?” Qrow questions.

“Coming by for a visit and observe the beauties, the hell do you think I’m here for. There was a damned Terrorist Attack by Jack the Ripper. We’ve been trying to keep that bastard in our cells for years and no matter what we do he keeps getting out. I’m done playing it nice, he can’t be broken – I’m here because I wanna put the animal down.” Killian explains, and for once he is actually not lying.

For once – he is on the same page as them.

“As admirable as that is, he isn’t here.” Qrow tells him.

“I know, but there is another issue, one you know cannot be avoided. The bombs – we cannot risk anyone leaving the Academy or breaking the Ripper’s rules until we locate and kill him. Then we can figure out where the controls for the bombs are and we cut the connection. Needs to be done at his base.” Killian explains.

“Then why come in person? You think we suddenly forgave you for the stunt you pulled four years ago?” Eryka questions, pacing back and forth like a dog, Winter having to stand in front of her to keep her from attacking Killian again. At the end of the day there are simply too many of the Black Gallows Stockholm Troopers here, meaning that they will not stand a chance. And there has been enough bloodshed.

“I know what I did four years ago, and I know it was wrong. I am not here to argue that I was right, because I was not. My end goal may not have changed but believe it or not my methods have. I do not want any more bloodshed, because that just breeds more conflict. And conflict will breed catastrophe, it has happened more times than I can count. And I do not want any of you to die, I am making it my mission to get this campaign done with as little blood as possible…this terrorist attack…changes things.” He sighs as he looks at the Ambulances leaving the scene.

He then looks back at them. “Is it true? Ironwood and Glynda are both dead?” He asks them.

“Yeah.” Qrow answers.

“Expect me to believe you didn’t have a hand in this? You threatened the General when you left!” Eryka yells.

“Eryka!” Winter desperately attempts to calm the Vasillias Sister.

Killian stares at her with…disgust at the idea of that. “You think I would work with that monster…he killed my parents when I was a child. I want him in the dirt as badly as you, don’t you dare think you can judge me for my past misdeeds.” Killian snarls, his fist clenched as he stares Eryka down. Eryka returns the same glare, but she finally backs down, and she looks at her girlfriend, nodding.

As he stands there though, he looks past Qrow to see Ozpin, walking towards him with a tightly clenched fist and gritted teeth. Killian steps forward as he sees the Professor storming towards him. “Professor, we are not here to cause harm. I am merely here to make sure the bombs don’t detona-”

Ozpin punches Killian in the jaw, extremely hard, knocking him down to one knee, he grunts as he grabs his jaw with a groan. Ozpin glares down at him with his fist shaking, aching as well. “Get the hell out of my Academy, Killian.” Ozpin demands, but then the Raven Talon Class Stockholm Troopers aim their rifles at him, staring him down.

Winter can actually be seen grinning at that, until she straightens herself out and stands to attention, trying not to giggle at seeing Killian getting knocked down a peg.

“Alright…I deserve that.” Killian admits, spitting some blood from his mouth as he gets back up.

“I should put you down right now for what you pulled. People died, one of my best teachers was killed, because of _your_ transgressions!” Ozpin yells, and that actually seems to worry Killian. But not out of fear for his own life, he stopped fearing death a very long time ago. It is more seeing Ozpin this unhinged, he has never shown anger before, but this is fury.

“He did. And I remember all their names. Bartholomew Oobleck. Rouge Daniels. Chandler Greene. Charlotte Lazuli. Cappi Bross. And many others, and I could go on with all their names. I know I committed terrible crimes to prove a point, acts that I regret dearly now. The Puritan Followers may have the same goal in mind as me…” Killian explains, turning his head to the crowds of people still pushing their message to this tragedy, and he shakes his head in disappointment. “But this is no way to go about change.” Killian states.

“Change? You’re planning to take away the individuality that makes our society great!” Qrow argues.

“Not…exactly. As I said, I have changed a few things. You will see when I present the students with the Vytal Consensus.” Killian says to them.

The Vytal Consensus, the new Regulations to be put in place in all Academies, at first Killian’s idea was to make them like the Spartans. All indoctrinated under a single rule, but it is clear that he has changed his mind on some of these things. The question is – what is the Vytal Consensus like, and will it be better or worse than what they already have?

“Keep them out of your business, Killian. I don’t want my students being involved with you any further. You scared them enough four years ago.” Ozpin snarls.

“Scared them? If I scared them, then I’m sorry but they are not prepared for what’s out there.” Killian says as he points at the world behind him.

“Yeah, cuz you’re pussy.” Eryka softly says.

“Now that’s just blatantly childish.” Killian says to her, shaking his head.

“The students are doing as we ask, and the Police have already set up a perimeter with plenty of food and supplies to last them until this is over.” Ozpin states, he really wants him gone from this Academy. But then Killian walks towards him, and shoves a document into his chest, so Ozpin reads it.

It is a Warrant, from the Unified Remnant Council.

“I have permission to be here, Oz. And like I said, I don’t want any further bloodshed. Hasn’t there been enough?” He asks him, and Ozpin glares at him, throwing his document on the floor. Qrow and Winter both look at Ozpin, because now he is being the dangerous one. The Huntsmen already have a shade over them thanks to Killian, but this could just make it worse.

“Forget your Warrant. I am not letting you in this Academy.” Ozpin states, and Killian sighs, looking at his men.

“Do you really wanna do this?” He questions. “I know you have a prisoner, I personally want information out of him. I did my research on him.” Killian assures.

“He’s ours, we will handle it.” Ozpin states.

“Oz…just let him in. He’s right, we’ve had enough violence.” Qrow tells him, and Ozpin glances at him and then back at the Commander. Ozpin wants to take him out so bad, but then he looks at all the Stockholm Troopers with their advanced weapons trained on him. So he reluctantly steps back. Ozpin is starting to lose it, and they can all see it. “He’s been struggling with Glynda’s death. Jack managed to get into the school with no trouble whatsoever. You can’t blame him for being pissed.”

“I don’t…even though that right hook hurt a bunch.” Killian groans as he massages his jaw. “But we all know that what that message was…it was no idle threat. We cannot risk anyone breaking those rules. So you need to leave the hunt to me. As much as you want to kill him…we can’t risk it.”

“He wants me, Killian.” Qrow reminds.

“I know, but we don’t have to follow the same hunt. It’s bound to lead into a trap.” Killian states.

“Maybe, but my Semblance will counter his.” Qrow states, and Winter glances at him, really starting to get more and more curious over who Jack the Ripper is to him.

“Maybe, but what of my men? People around you? I respect that you want to help Qrow, and I am sure he would let you leave. But I do not want to risk my men’s lives because of your semblance. And the Ripper…and I mean no offence…is smarter than you.” Killian explains.

“None taken, he always was.” Qrow agrees.

Killian looks at Eryka and Winter and he walks past them, Qrow beside him. The Huntsman does not trust the Commander as far as he can throw him, but he might as well cooperate with him. The two of them walk towards the Dining Hall where the Fatal Feather Blades from Jackdaw were left behind. Qrow looks around and he then just looks at him. “You never said his name.”

“No.” Killian answers.

“But you know who he is?” Qrow asks him.

“Jackdaw Branwen, you and Raven’s older brother.” Killian answers, looking right at him.

“Why didn’t you tell Winter and Eryka then?” He asks them.

“That’s your business, not mine. It’s your place to tell them and the kids. I’m not an evil man, Qrow.” Killian tells him as he approaches the door. “But I’m no hero either.”

“Then what are you, Killian?” Qrow asks him.

“I don’t know…whatever the world needs me to be.” Killian answers, which really begs the question. If he truly believes that…then why is he working with Salem? He is not a man that can be tricked easily, so either Salem is tricking him extremely well, or Salem’s motives are not as simple as _destroying the world_.

Only time will tell.

Both he and Killian enter the Dining Hall, police tape still up and the investigators scanning the scene, the Huntsmen and Huntresses no longer inside. Killian looks around at the damage, and the marks on the wall where blood was once staining. A blood stain is a scar that can never be removed, those trained in the art of investigation can always see it instantly. “This is where he killed the four Graduates?” Killian asks.

“Yeah, and outside on the Dorm roofs was where Peony was killed. And outside was Glynda and Ironwood.” Qrow comments, and he sighs.

“So much life wasted…for nothing.” Killian growls, and then he looks around some more, and his eyes widen when he sees the Fatal Father Blade on the floor, on top of the many others left behind across both Beacon and Vale. He walks towards them and he crouches down.

“I’ve never seen him use those. He used to have bracers with blades in the shape of feathers on them, like Vambraces. But these were different, he had 3-D Printers built into his metal arms. He must have an ally, he was never much of a tech savvy guy.” Qrow explains as he shrugs his shoulders.

“Definitely…” Killian says as he runs his fingers across the fine metal. “…because this is Grave Dust.” He tells him.

“Huh?” Qrow asks.

“Grave Dust. It was an experimental Artificial Dust that could be controlled by someone who was coded to it. It was initially designed for medical reasons, prosthetics, augments, helping the disabled, that sort of thing. But…things happened…and it was turned into a weapon. Before we shut the production of the crap down.” Killian explains, and he picks up one of the blades, and then turns to one of his soldiers.

“O’Neil. Do you have one of those Magnetic Pulse Pistols?” Killian asks him, and the soldier nods his head, drawing it and handing it to him. He sets it down on the floor and turns the magnetic pulse down to the lowest possible setting. It creates a light thrum and shakes the dust apart, and it piles down onto the floor. He hands it back to the soldier and he pulls out a vial from his pouch, one of many intriguing oddities. He collects a small sample of the stuff in three vials. “How the hell did he get his hands on Grave Dust?”

“Why’s it called that?” Qrow asks, and the answer…is not as descriptive as he was expecting.

“Well look at it.” Killian says, and Qrow stares at the grey dust. “The colour…it looks like a gravestone.”

“Oh…that’s it?”

“Yeah…the eggheads who created it were many things, but creative at coming up with names? Not so much. They literally named a Sonic Pulse Cannon – a Loud Gun.” He scoffs, and Qrow just stands there, feeling so disappointed.

Kilian looks at the vial and he taps his finger against it.

“I need to speak with this Contractor you have captured.”

 

**Killian**

Inside of a dark room is the Contractor they are holding prisoner, he groans as he sits with his arms bound to the spine of the chair. His bandaged stomach giving him immense pain and his broken hand giving him equal pain. Battered and bruised he is lucky he is not dead, or maybe he will really want to be dead. Outside of the cell are both Killian and Qrow. “So…who’s good cop and bad cop?” Qrow asks him, and Killian chuckles.

“I don’t think it works that way.” He says to him. “Let’s say you’re bad cop, and I’m worse cop. I have my methods.”

The idea of it really does give Qrow a chill, because he is Black Ops, meaning he is able to whatever he wants and nobody would bat an eye because that is his job. Killian opens the door and he walks in, then Qrow follows him. The door closes and they both glance at each other, Killian puts his arms behind his back as he walks around him. Qrow approaches the Contractor, staring right into his eyes and he grabs him by the hair, yanking him downwards, making him cry out. “We’re not gonna screw around with you today buddy, if you don’t tell us what we wanna know, it’s about to get real painful for you.” Qrow assures as he stares into his eyes, his fist clenched with the ring on it.

The Contractor scoffs, and decides it would be a good idea to spit in Qrow’s face. He slightly flinches and he sighs, wiping the saliva from his face. “Screw you.” The Contractor snarls, so Qrow sighs, shaking his head.

“You’re really not grasping how dire your situation is, are you?” Qrow asks, before he swings his fist hard into his head, making a hell of a clapping sound. His chair rocks to one side from how hard he hit him. His nose breaks from that punch with a crunch, and red blood squirts from his face, leaking down over his mouth and he coughs. He spits the blood onto the floor and looks at him.

“You didn’t even ask me a question…” He coughs.

“I know – that’s just punishment.” Qrow assures.

“Where is Jackdaw Branwen?” Killian questions as he walks around him with his arms behind his back.

“What is this? Some kinda good cop bad cop crap? Guess what, ain’t working jerkoffs!” The Contractor yells.

“Not exactly.” Killian assures. “Now answer the question, or my partner here…well…you can probably guess.”

Qrow cracks his knuckles.

“Look buddy, I don’t even know who that is, so you better try again.” The Contractor spits, until Qrow punches him in the face again, then punches him in the stomach, and he screams in agony as the pain ruptures through his whole body.

“You think we won’t kill you? That little attack you caused killed a bunch of my friends. I would carve you up and not lose a night’s sleep.” Qrow threatens, then he looks at Killian. “Actually, hey, you gotta knife?” He asks him curiously.

“Huh?” The Contractor whimpers.

Killian nods and he unsheathes his combat knife, spinning it through his fingers so the hilt is pointed to Qrow. “Much obliged.” Qrow says, crouching down and pointing the knife underneath his nail. “Now I’m running low on patience…so answer his question.” Qrow threatens.

“You mean the Ripper? He never gave us a name, guess he wanted to stay safe.” The Contractor stammers.

“Oh yeah?” Qrow asks him as he digs the blade underneath his nail, and he bites his lip as he feels the agony of it puncturing the skin. “What’s the Ripper’s plans then? Where’s he gone?”

“I don’t know!” He cries out, then Qrow pushes the blade deeper and pushes it up, slowly peeling the nail from his finger. He shrieks in agony as the blood pours down his finger, rocking around in his chair erratically.

“You do, you are the contractor. The Ripper would have communed with you above the others. You were the one who gave the weapons out, right?” Killian presumes.

“Dunno what your talking about…” He screams seconds after saying that, as Qrow twists the blade, ripping his nail from his index finger. He screams in agony from that, blood pouring down his finger.

“Alright…” He sighs, stabbing the knife down underneath his kneecap, taking it a step further. He screams in agony, feeling the large blade scraping against his kneecap. Blood begins to stain his trouser leg as he cries out, and Qrow twists the blade slightly, making him scream again. “Remember when I said my patience is wearing thin?” The Contractor cries pathetically from the pain, so Qrow smacks his face to get his attention. “Hey, it’s polite to look at someone when they’re talking to you.”

“Y-Yes…” The Contractor whimpers.

“Yeah, well I wasn’t kidding. So tell us, where’d he go?” He asks him curiously. “Still in Vale? Gone to Mistral? Vacuo? Atlas? The Moon? Where’d he go?”

“I…I dunno…I swear it…he said he was seeing someone called the Spider!” He cries out, and Qrow grits his teeth, pushing the blade deeper and twisting it.

“Who is the Spider?” Qrow questions, but then the Contractor spits in his face again.

“Your mother asshole!”

Qrow rolls his eyes and he goes to pop out his kneecap, until Killian taps his shoulder, pulling a chair out. He leaves the knife in there, and Killian pulls the blade from his punctured knee. He wipes the blood on the Contractor’s shirt. “Look man…we just wanna find him…it’s important.” He says with a sigh.

“You’re not gonna…he will find you…”

“Maybe…but I think you could help me. But if you can’t…well…” He sighs, reaching into his pocket and he pulls out a few pictures he collected from his research. “Amy…that’s her name isn’t it?” He inquires, showing the Contractor a picture of a little girl. Qrow stares at the Contractor as he turns pale, Killian’s method is by far more terrifying. Because he is using his family, because that little girl must be his daughter.

“You know…” Killian says, taking the photos down and setting them on his knee. “The Vasillias Cartel pays a great deal for people that a Trafficker needs selling to. Slavery is worth a damn lot…and man…you’d be surprised how many go for little girls nowadays. Messed up and scary people in the world.” Killian explains, showing how well he knows the dark sides of the planet. “Some of the slavers…the poor kids they have…they’re never the same. Some of them braindead at the end, then they just feed them to the Grimm to keep them from overrunning their camps. Messed up stuff.” Killian lists, and the Contractor begins to cry. “If you don’t tell us what we wanna know…I’ll make some calls…and I will make sure your little girl ends up with the worst possible slaver.” Killian promises him.

“P-Please…I…”

“No? Okay…I’ll make the call right now.” Killian says, getting up and pulling out his scroll. Qrow goes to stop him, but notices it is not even on – it is a scare tactic.

And it works.

“Okay! Okay!” The Contractor wails, and Killian pauses, looking at him. “Her name is Little Miss Malachite…” He whimpers. “I don’t know what he wants…he mentioned Roman Torchwick…but that’s it!”

Killian looks at Qrow and he nods his head. “See? That simple.” Killian says, and the man sobs constantly.

“Please…please don’t hurt my baby.”

“I won’t.” Killian assures, reaching into his bag, and pulling out that vial of Grave Dust, one of three. “Grave Dust…you know…they say that a small whiff of this stuff can kill a man in minutes if they don’t have a magnet on them.” Killian says, looking down at the man, walking over to him.

Then he blows the dust into his face, and a very small amount of it goes down his throat, and Qrow’s eyes widen. “What…what have you…” He whimpers in terror.

“Oh dear…that sucks…” Killian sucks his teeth, and Qrow stares at the man with disbelief an dhow he could do that. “If you have any last thoughts…I’d have them now…I think your larynx is probably being dissolved right now.”

The Contractor tries to scream but he can’t, the Grave Dust is doing its work to him, breaking down his body from the inside out. Killian turns and he walks out of the room, being followed by quite the shocked Qrow Branwen. Qrow spins round and grabs Killian, pinning him to the wall. “The hell was that?”

“Cutting off loose ends.” Killian replies.

“The guy had a daughter!” Qrow argues.

“Yeah, and now she is safer without him.” Killian says, shoving Qrow away as he walks down the hallway away from him. Qrow clenches his hand into fist with anger.

“WHO ARE YOU TO MAKE THAT CHOICE!?” Qrow bellows, and Killian just keeps walking away. Qrow looks back, and with horror…he can see the Grave Dust completely consuming him, his skin turns pale and he crumbles away into dust on a chair.

Grave Dust is lethal.

He then looks back, seeing Killian walk away.

It is like…there are two different people inside of him. The human who knows he did wrong and wants as little bloodshed as possible…and the monster inside that the Black Gallows forged.

Killian does not show mercy to his enemies.

 

**Ruby**

Ruby and Yang, both completely unaware of what just happened to the Contractor…

Walk through the halls of the Dormitory Block towards the one they have always been in. “What do you think we will do now?” Ruby asks Yang with a worried voice.

“We stay together, no matter what.” Yang assures, and Ruby opens the door, and they walk inside. They both look around, then they both gasp when they see her.

Raven Branwen…

…sat on Weiss’ bed with her Odachi on her lap and a Black Feather in her hand. The two of them stare at her…

…and she says one thing.

“Yang…Ruby…we have a lot to talk about.”

 

 


	7. The Vytal Consensus

**Raven**

Yang’s lilac eyes meet her red ones, and they are almost carbon copies of one another, except for the weathered skin on Raven’s face, the scar on her neck, the three Corvid Birds tattooed on her neck too – and of course – the black hair and blood red eyes. The two of them stare at each other, and Ruby’s eyes are wide as she looks at the mother of her sister, her sword resting on her lap. Yang stammers as she stares at her mother, the woman she had not met until she was rescued by Neo that night.

“M-Mom?” Yang nervously greets as she stares at her mother who sits atop Weiss’ bed, setting the whetstone down on the cover beside her leg. Her hands press against it and she glances to Blake’s bed where they can sit so then they can talk. “What are you doing here?” Yang questions.

“About what happened, that’s why.” Raven tells her.

“You’re her…” Ruby softly says with disbelief, and finally Raven looks at Summer’s Daughter. Despite the old flame she once had with Taiyang, she does not seem to have any kind of resentment to the daughter.

“I am…take it daddy rarely spoke of me?” She presumes.

“Never…it was Qrow who did.” Yang answers as she stares cautiously at her mother, sitting down on the bed beside her sister, twiddling her metal and human fingers together, keeping her eyes locked on the warrior before her. The Bandit-Style Clothing that clads her muscular yet slender frame, necklace wrapped around her neck and hanging just above her breasts.

“Oh brother…I thought we agreed…anyway, it doesn’t matter anymore. The Ripper has made himself apparent in your lives now, and he wants you…I don’t know why, but he does.” Raven states as she shrugs her shoulders, and Ruby raises her brow.

“Um…huh?” Ruby questions, so Raven just responds by glancing at the feathers that she took from their beds and set them down on Weiss’ study.

“Those were on your beds, Ruby.” She says as she looks at Ruby, then a smile graces her face as she looks at Ruby and tilts her head. “My…you really are a spitting image of your mother.”

“Don’t change the subject, why are you here? I get Jack the Ripper wants to kill us, most likely me – right?” Yang presumes.

“I know not why he wants you – but I have a feeling it has something to do with these feathers.” Raven states as she stands up from Weiss’ bed and she walks over to the feathers, the one she threw is hardly even straight. She was always quite the perfectionist, every pencil had to be straight and her sword was always clean and sharp. Seems even that was bothering her, as she straightens out the feather beside its partner.

“Yeah we gathered that – _I now speak directly to the Black Feathers_ – that’s what he said, right?” Yang presumes, and Raven turns to her, and she walks around their room, sliding her fingers across the bunkbeds, chuckling as she looks at them.

“I can’t imagine these were easy to set up…using books to keep them balanced? Smart…” Raven chuckles as she looks at the books that supported their beds together.

“Please stop changing the subject, mom. Just tell us what the hell is going on!” She begs.

“I will – but I need to know you will help me. Qrow knows what needs to be done, and I have a feeling Eryka will help too.” Raven explains, causing them both to start raising questions about Neptune’s sister.

“Eryka?” Ruby questions.

“Jack the Ripper…Qrow…and I…we share a long history, one I cannot divulge here, especially not with the Black Gallows present. I need to know you’re gonna be on my side, because this will divide things.” Raven explains as she approaches her sword and she looks at the red blade, before turning back to the two young women sat on Blake’s bed. “But you need to know the truth.”

“What truth? You’re not making any sense!” Yang argues as she gets up.

“Will you please just come with me? I will explain everything when we get there.” Raven begs, taking her sword and swinging it downwards, opening up a flickering red and black portal beside her, one that makes her long black hair blow from the incoming wind. They both stare into the mysterious darkness of her portal, and they are both left quite shaken from it. Yang stares at her mother and narrows her eyes.

“I don’t know you…you were never there…you left us.” Yang snarls, and Raven stares right back.

“I…had my reasons.” Raven states.

“Yeah? Well I don’t care! I have my own life now, people I care about, and this is my home. We will figure out how to take down Jack the Ripper our way. We don’t need you.” Yang snarls, and Ruby looks at her sister with concern. Raven scoffs and shakes her head as she sheathes the long red blade of her Odachi.

“Daughter…”

“Don’t call me that, you don’t have the right.” Yang growls.

“Sweetheart, I have the scars. Trust me, I have the right.” Raven scoffs as she looks right at Yang, and that makes Ruby cringe. But Yang does not back down, she stares right back into her mother’s red eyes.

“You may have carried me…you and my dad may have been together once…but you left him. Left all of us. Why don’t you stay that way?” She grills, quite harshly, and Raven stares right back and she sighs, looking down at the floor. She turns to the portal and goes to leave, but then she stops and looks at Ruby.

“I won’t try and convince you, but if you want to change your mind, I am actually visiting your father tonight. Funnily enough, I check on all of you, every single day. Every year I talk to him…so if you wanna come with me, make sure you do it tonight.” Raven says, then her eyes meet Ruby again. “But if you want to know the truth about your mother, Ruby…” Raven begins, and Ruby’s eyes widen when she hears her say that. Raven sighs, looking at Yang, before turning back to Ruby again. “…then you have to get it for yourself. Doesn’t mean you can’t get some help along the way though.”

Raven goes to leave, but before she does, she has yet one more statement. “By the way? Your Dorm? Is filthy.” She says, as the portal closes behind her, leaving them alone. Ruby looks around and she giggles, Yang raises a brow at her.

“Weiss would have a fit if she heard her say that.” Ruby giggles, and that also makes Yang chuckle as well.

“Yeah…c’mon…I suddenly wanna go get something to eat.” She says, and Ruby bounces back up.

“I’m with you.”

 

**Jaune**

The Arc Boy walks through the Academy, it has gotten more cleaned up but he can still see the scars of Jackdaw’s attack. And the new Construction Crews are continuing to fill the holes and clean up the rest. Most of the holes are bullet holes from the criminals who attacked, and as he walks he can see Qrow watching Killian walk towards Ozpin’s office and he looks pissed. What Jaune does not realise is that this is directly after Killian and Qrow interrogated the Contractor, and Killian killed him. Qrow eventually follows him up there, whereas Jaune just walks towards one of his sources of motivation.

He approaches the statue of Legendary Huntsman – Thaddeus Rex – with his sword held up in the air and the Beowulf beneath him, and the woman also beside him, fighting as hard as she can. Jaune looks at it and he looks at the plaque beneath his statue.

_King Thaddeus Rex_

_Hero and Saviour_

_Shining Example for every Huntsman and Huntress_

Jaune sits down in front of the statue, looking up at him with such awe, admired by how much of an amazing human being Thaddeus was. The things he accomplished in such a terrible time, a time where war killed everything it seemed to touch, and that was not even mentioning the Grimm.

He lowers his head down and then he mutters. “What would you have done?”

He stares at Thaddeus as if he was expecting the statue to look down and answer him, like some sort of Genie. But of course it does not, the statue remains as cold as ever, stood in the same pose as always. “I mean…should I have done things differently? If I was here…would we have been able to stop him?” Jaune asks as he stares at him, until another voice surprises him.

“I wouldn’t dwell on such things, Mr Arc.” Ozpin recommends, causing Jaune to jolt and turn round sharply, seeing Ozpin approach with his cane in his hand. He looks at the statue as well, before he sits down next to him and exhales, resting his cane atop his lap like Raven did when she just spoke with Yang and Ruby. Jaune looks at the Professor, noticing that he has calmed down quite a lot since he last saw him, and he is acting more like the Teacher he knew studying at this great place. “Only tends to harm you, more than it helps.”

“I guess…I just…keep thinking that maybe we should have been here.” Jaune says with a heavy sigh as he taps his fingers against his knees.

“You were celebrating your Graduation, I would have been a bit disappointed if you decided to stay at school for that.” Ozpin chuckles, patting his back as he sits beside him. Jaune looks back up at the statue of Thaddeus Rex.

“Professor…” He begins, and Ozpin turns his head to him.

“Yes, Mr Arc?” He replies.

“I’ve read a few history books, ones about Thaddeus – but…I never really knew about where some of his titles came from. There aren’t may texts about it.” Jaune says, and Ozpin chuckles, nodding his head in appreciation of his curiosity.

“Well luckily for you, I have read my fair share too.” Ozpin chuckles, making Jaune chuckle too. “Some of his titles came from different Kingdoms, the Settlers of Vacuo, the Spartans of Mistral, the Defenders of Vale…and the Pioneers of Atlas.” Ozpin lists, and those names all work very well with what the four armies were called at first, before they became the Kingdoms themselves.

“It’s still weird to imagine Atlesians being Pioneers, y’know? You’d think they’ve always been as advanced as they are now.” Jaune says.

“Indeed, but every empire has a beginning. And an end…” He says as he looks at the statue and the plaque beneath his feet where the Beowulf was falling.

Ozpin glances at Jaune, seeing that he still has those worries in his mind, worries Ozpin has always been able to see in him. He pats his knee and he stands back up, looking down at him. “You drink coffee?” He asks him, looking up at the setting sun. “It’s about to get dark out, don’t want to be sat here in the cold, do we?” He says to Jaune.

“Um…yeah…sure…” Jaune awkwardly says as he gets up, and Ozpin walks with him towards the empty cafeteria, opening the doors and they both walk into the cleaned up crime scene. They have collected all the evidence they need and it has been fixed up, so they approach the doors to the kitchen, but Ozpin turns to him.

“Take a seat, I’ll bring the stuff out.” Ozpin assures. Jaune does exactly that, he sits down in the huge Dining Hall alone as Ozpin goes into the kitchen to boil the Coffee and bring the milk and sugar out on a tray. As Jaune waits, he looks around, then he catches the wall…and even though repairs have been made…the marks can still be seen. Very faint blood stains that cannot be washed away, and for a split second he could actually see the body of Yatsuhashi being zipped up in a body bag. He looks away, feeling such shame in his heart for not being here, not being here to help them.

_We were too busy getting drinks…celebrating everything…whilst people were dying._

The door opens and he turns, seeing Ozpin approach with the steel tray of coffee ingredients and he sits down on the other side of the table, the two mugs with coffee already in. “You take sugar?” He asks him.

“No thank you.” Jaune says to him, so Ozpin just puts a sash’s worth of sugar into his coffee, mixing it together with the teaspoon and Jaune does the same, taking a sip of the hot liquid. They both set them down and he leans back.

“So…why do you keep feeling like you need to be like Thaddeus, Jaune?” He asks him curiously, and Jaune looks at Ozpin. “Believe me, Jaune, it’s not that hard for me to figure out. You go and stare at that statue every single day, ever since you came to this Academy.”

Jaune still remains a little quiet, as if it is something to be embarrassed about, but as always Ozpin has a way of making anyone feel like his equal. But at the end of the day, they are now. “If you’re afraid of people judging you for being a leader with confidence issues then you needn’t worry. That feeling will never go away, I cannot count the amount of Huntsmen and Huntresses of long careers who come back to my Academy seeking guidance. Hell…you saw me after…Glynda.” Ozpin explains to him, and Jaune looks at him, he would be the very last individual you would imagine losing their cool, but he is still a living human breathing the same air as he is – meaning he can lose faith just as easily.

So Jaune finally gives him the answer. “I just…I always felt like I could never do anything right. My parents always shielded me from the world, I bet if they could make me a suit of armour made of pillows they would’ve. They said – _don’t worry if you have to come home, if they don’t accept you…_ They had that little faith in me…Pyrrha was the first person to actually believe in me, but when I saw Thaddeus Rex there and I learned about him – I just wanted to make Pyrrha proud. To show her…that she wasn’t wasting her time.” Jaune explains to Ozpin, and he nods his head.

“You do know how madly in love she is with you, right?” Ozpin asks him with a chuckle, making Jaune blush and chuckle too.

“Yeah…I know…but…”

“You want to prove it, instead of hear you are great. You want to show it.” Ozpin finishes his sentence for him, and he nods his head. Ozpin chuckles as he leans back. “Well, as I said, I have learned a great deal from history books. And Thaddeus Rex was a man I was very curious of, because of how he managed to band together all these farmers and low lives…and create a Kingdom. A Kingdom that would fight for what was right, obviously others disagreed with him on that front, but…even still.” Ozpin chuckles, and Jaune chuckles at that too.

“There’s always an asshole.” Jaune says.

“Indeed.” He agrees. “However, in the past there were once four different dialects. Valerian, Atlesian, Mistraalian and Vacui. All of them saw him differently, and the Great War became more complicated as the years went on. But from my translations, the name – Rex – had many different interpretations.” Ozpin explains to him, and Jaune raises a brow in curiosity.

“Really?” He asks.

“Oh yeah.” Ozpin answers. “You see, the warriors in all four of these Kingdoms had immense respect for the man in vaguely similar ways, being an enemy or not. The translations always were – Saviour or Hero, Warrior or King, God or Messiah…and Adversary.” Ozpin chuckles, and it surprises Jaune at something.

“Just Adversary? No secondary translation?” He asks.

“No, it was always I found quite strange, but then I realised that it must have been from the words of his foes. At the end of the day, your allies could see you as the greatest Hero, Warrior or King…but your enemies will always see the Devil inside you.” Ozpin explains, and Jaune looks down at the floor. He thinks on that, because it is a great point.

“Every man’s hero is another man’s villain.” Jaune states.

“Exactly. At the end of the day Jaune, we do not really get a choice in how the world views us.” He says, and Jaune starts to notice that Ozpin is linking this into the Black Gallows and their deal. “In the past few years we have been seen as the enemy…but maybe…that could change.”

“You’re talking about Killian, aren’t you?” Jaune asks him.

“I don’t trust the man as far as I can throw him, but what he has presented up there…it is not as bad as I was expecting. He really has dropped the whole idea of forming a single military skill – I guess he realised that creating an army of machines would be easier.” Ozpin chuckles, making Jaune chuckle as well. “But Machines can be hacked, and if your enemy learns that their enemy was taught under one doctrine…they can be easily defeated.”

“I guess.” He says with a sigh.

“What Killian did was unforgivable, but his new deal could help us be seen as the people who protect the innocent once more.” Ozpin says to him. “You asked me what Thaddeus would do? I think he would have done anything to make sure that the greater good were safe…even if it meant siding with the Devil.” Ozpin says, and Jaune looks at him and he sighs. The two of them continue to drink their coffees.

But Jaune knows.

He needs to see this deal.

 

**Qrow**

He stands inside of Ozpin’s Office, with many others around him, Winter and Eryka for starters are beside him, the two of them sending some very furious looks in the direction of Killian. Who is also not alone, a couple of Obsidian Glaive Class Stockholm Troopers, and the four Councillors.

Of names they do not disclose – the Valerian Councilwoman, the Vacuo Councillor, the Mistraalian Councillor and the Atlesian Councillor.

Also in the room are Weiss and Blake, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren as they wait for the last three members of their friendship group. The Vacuo Councillor huffs a groan as he stands there, until a flicker reveals that they are just a holographic projection. Makes sense though, since Ozpin did have a conversation with them only a day ago now. “Are we gonna get this thing started, or what?” The Councillor questions, but Killian sharply glances at him.

“We will wait until the others are here. I am not going to start without them.” He reminds, and the Councillor rolls his eyes as he stands before them all. He does not give the Graduates much of a great impression as he stands there, tapping his foot. Ren and Blake turn when they feel the elevator coming up the tower, Blake heard it first but Ren could feel the vibrations thanks to his aura and his awareness of their surroundings. The elevator opens up and it reveals Ruby, Yang, Jaune and Ozpin inside.

“Ugh, finally. We have a full boat, let’s get on with this.” The Vacuo Councillor says with a sigh, making the Valerian Councilwoman roll her eyes as she stands there with her arms crossed over her chest.

Killian turns and stares straight at him, and that glare even through a hologram makes the Councillor back down. Killian turns to them all, and before him on Ozpin’s desk is the thick book of which they are here to discuss. “Miss Rose, Miss Xiao Long, Mr Arc…thank you for making it.” Killian respectfully greets with his arms behind his back as he looks at them as they walk into the room.

“Not sure what the point of it all is.” Yang huffs.

“The _point_ is to maintain National Security, young lady.” The Atlesian Councillor has the nerve to insult her in such a way, and Yang clenches her hand into a fist.

“Please, enough with the confrontations. I believe we have had enough violence and threat for one day, don’t you?” Killian asks everyone in the room, holding out his hands. None of them have forgotten what happened four years ago, but they also know that he is right. They have had enough chaos for one day, and they might as well stop drawing out the inevitable conversation about the Vytal Consensus.

Ozpin stands in the corner with his back leaned against the glass, his arms crossed as he looks at them. “I asked you all to be here, because something needs to be done about the Academies.” Killian explains as he walks around the tables.

“Because you hate us?” Nora scoffs.

“Hardly. I admit my methods are rash, especially what I tried to do before.” Killian admits as he holds his hands up. “And I was wrong.”

That was something that they did not expect to hear Nathaniel Killian say – the fact that he was wrong. “And not only that, the idea of having every Huntsman trained under the same regime…like the Spartans…was admittedly ridiculous. Because you would be as effective as the Atlesian Knights, which were hacked. The same could happen if a force is able to counteract the same attacks an entire military do. What I saw you all do, when you fixed the mistake I made – it impressed me. I might not have seemed it at the time, but I was. You showed me that all these people from different walks of life, trained in different ways, could unite and defeat an enemy I thought was unstoppable.” Killian praises them, and that is another thing they did not expect to hear from him, especially after how he left four years ago…until…

“But my praises aside – facts are facts – and I will say it plain. The Academies need to be put in check.” Killian states.

“Oh yeah? Where’d you get that idea?” Yang challenges, and Qrow rolls his eyes with a sigh, because of what she just did and said.

“Thank you, Miss Xiao Long, for proving my point.” Killian states as he turns on the holographic projector on Ozpin’s table.

“I wasn’t –”

“Yang, sit your ass back down.” Qrow tells her rather sternly, she looks at him and she sighs, sitting back down on the chair and she crosses her arms. The Atlesian Councillor scoffs as he looks at the Blonde Haired Brawler.

“And Ironwood gave her that arm…instead of selling it to Industrial Facilities to build on a wider scale.” He scoffs as he stares at her, the resentment from the Councillor stabs deeply into Yang. She had been given those looks before, but she never realised how many people really hate her for that.

_He…sent the prototype to me?_

“That is one of the many reasons behind why we feel this is necessary, the Academies have been run with the highest budgets and almost no supervision by the Government. And at the end of the day, the Students who come out of these Academies are living proof of why that cannot be accepted anymore. Miss Xiao Long, you are the smallest problem in this, but there have been many cases over the years.” Killian explains, and then he opens up many documents of _Rogue Huntsmen_ over the years.

_Name: [Redacted]_

_Other Alias: Jack the Ripper_

_Age when Rogue: 17_

_Criminal Offences: Murdered up to sixty innocent people in outlandishly fiendish ways, leaving hardly anything behind after he lost his mind from a lack of mental stability tests._

Ruby and Yang stare at his face, the same face that they saw on that message he left behind, and they may not know it yet – but that is Jackdaw Branwen. Then more names start to appear.

_Name: Raven Branwen_

_Other Alias: Blinded Raven_

_Age when Rogue: 22_

_Criminal Offences: Abandoned her post at Beacon and returned to her Bandit Tribe (which was known by Professor Ozpin but redacted from every file he had on her name) and started butchering innocents in droves, stealing everything left behind with her great skill and power_

Yang’s eyes widen when she sees her mother’s face, she was literally a darker haired version of herself…and she became a monster. She even had freckles at one point as well. But the pictures do not stop there.

_Name: Jonathan Arterius_

_Other Alias: None_

_Age when Rogue: 20_

_Criminal Offences: Murder, thieving and rape across Remnant, using his powers taught at Haven Academy for his own purposes_

_Death: 35 years old, shot to death by Black Gallows after refusing to be taken into custody_

Ozpin keeps watching the names go by, every single one bringing back memories, and every single one have done immensely horrific crimes. Some of them go back decades, but the point has been made very clear.

Killian stops showing the faces of these killers and criminals who started in these Academies. “We have been able to trace the source of their violent deeds from the Academies, due to the nature of training missions. Throwing children into hazardous situations on their first day can trigger something in a damaged mind, as it did with many of the people here. And constantly being around people…well let’s say that caused problems as well.” Killian explains as he walks around the room.

“We need to improve the security and the Recruitment Process for the Academies, it is too easy for dangerous people to learn how to use their powers for bad things.” The Valerian Councilwoman explains as she looks at the names that come by.

“Exactly, look at Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. A thirty year old killer, a skilled thief and the son of an infamous Assassin managed to jump onto the Recruitment Process and nobody even noticed. They didn’t even have to use false identities.” The Atlesian Councillor explains to them, and Ruby lowers her head before giving a short glance at Pyrrha, who flinches at seeing her Mug Shot appear on the screen.

“I get that and all, but I turned out alright.” Qrow states.

“Yes, however that is another issue we have to improve with the Selection Process.” Killian states, and Qrow stops, and Killian looks at Eryka too. “Where Eryka was refused down to her weak aura, you were accepted despite the fact of your Bad Luck Charm.” Killian states, and they all look at Qrow at hearing about that. Qrow looks at Eryka and she actually looks quite jealous of that fact.

“I…”

“And that Semblance is uncontrollable – and yes I did manipulate him – but the same issue lies with Jaymes Ickford.” He states, and Pyrrha glares at him with a clenched fist. “I may have hidden most of those files, but he still managed to get into Haven Academy. He was only refused to return because Leonardo Lionheart felt he was a threat, and most likely hoped he died during the Battle of Beacon. And yes…I checked his report, it said as much.” Killian explains, and that sheds a dark light across Haven’s Headmaster too.

Ozpin clenches his fist with anger at the coward’s disregard for the safety of his own student. “A Paranoid Schizophrenic may be able to get help, and we can offer that – but what happens when someone uses him? Like I did?” Killian asks them, and they all realise that despite how messed up and evil what he did was – anyone could have done it.

They all sit there, and they cannot even say a word at all this, because sadly – the hardest truth is usually the right one. The Academies must be improved if they are fix things. “And…the students and their missions have gone unchecked for too long.” He states.

“What?” Ren questions.

“The Government would feel more comfortable if we had detailed reports on everything that your teams find, especially on Recon Missions.” The Atlesian Councillor states, giving Ruby a hard glare. Ruby knows exactly what he is getting at.

“You’re talking about Torchwick aren’t you?” She presumes.

“Indeed I am, Miss Rose. Ozpin may have bent his own rules because he has a favoured opinion of your team, but you were still expected to lead a _Recon Mission_. Not a full scale assault on his men, you were outnumbered and outgunned. And then caused an attack on Vale.” He lists, but Ruby is having none of it.

“I was captured!” Ruby argues.

“Yeah, what were you expecting us to do? Let her get killed by Torchwick?” Weiss questions, standing beside her partner.

“Then maybe your leader shouldn’t have brought a pet dog into a Recon Mission.” Killian reminds, staring her down, and Ruby stares right back with stern silver eyes.

“Oobleck said –”

“Did he say _bring that cute pet corgi on this mission, Ruby?_ ” Killian asks her, and she stammers. “No. He didn’t.”

“That doesn’t change the fact we were saving our friend. As soon as we did, Torchwick took off and went to start the attack anyway.” Blake says as she stands up as well.

“After she was captured, if that dog was not there – per Oobleck’s debrief – you would not have fallen into Mountain Glenn’s Secret City.” He states.

“And never have learned about it?” Yang adds with a scoff, Killian sighs, shaking his head.

“Maybe if you did some more recon, you might have learned that one of the towers collapsed a few decades before you arrived there. And when my men investigated it…” Killian explains, showing the footage of them finding the tracks of the White Fang entering the tunnel. “…it was easily accessible.”

The team sit down, realising that they simply did not look hard enough. “Which brings us to you.” Killian states, staring at Ozpin. “You put First Year students on a mission that was set for Third Years, or Professional Hunters.” Killian states, and Ozpin inhales through his nose as he stares Killian down. “You have been putting these kids in situations that would have gotten them killed for years. And I may risk my men’s lives on countless occasions…but not in their training days.” Killian states as he points at them, because they are now at the age and skill that they could have handled that mission perfectly.

“I did what I had to do.” Ozpin states.

“And caused multiple people to die and many more to get injured in the attack that followed.” Killian states, and Ozpin sighs, looking down at the ground. “And more than that…”

He shows them all the footage from terrified civilians of the Battle of Beacon, but also the side effects that they never even thought about. The attack on Mistral that wiped out countless villages overnight, the massive attack on Vacuo’s walls the same night, and Atlas under siege from Airborne Grimm. “Countless lives were lost that day, because you were too blind…too blind to see the Devil who snuck its way into your school.”

Ozpin stares right back. “Oh I see him alright.” Ozpin assures.

Killian breaks the stare-contest between him and the Headmaster, and he finally gets to the good news, the reason he has brought them all here. “All of these things – lead to the creation of this.” Killian tells them, and he pushes the thick book across the table towards them. They all get up from their chairs to look at the red cover that says the name that he speaks. “The Vytal Consensus.”

Pyrrha opens it up and she looks through the document inside.

“This is a new agreement for the Academies, because we know how invaluable your services are to the world. So, instead of simply changing everything like initially planned, we are gonna…bend things. We are tightening security with Black Gallows forces in control of recruitment, making sure that incidents like Cinder Fall do not happen again. And lessons will be sure to help students learn to use their powers for the good of others, not for fame, or money or power. But simply in the defence of innocence.” The Atlesian Councillor explains as his holographic avatar walks around the table as they read it.

“Increased Security will also mean that the Academy is always protected as well.” The Vacuo Councillor states.

“Most importantly, all Contracts from now on will be issued directly by an Office that Regulates the important ones from the standard Chicken-Hunt.” The Valerian Councilwoman explains – a Chicken-Hunt is exactly as it sounds, in their experiences most contracts that come through are either jokes to get pictures with badass warriors or simply tiny problems that could be solved by someone else. “This way we can make sure that only the most important and Huntsmen-Worthy Contracts find you, and the smaller ones are handled by Standard Military, which will now have increased funding.”

“We won’t be able to choose our own contracts anymore?” Ruby questions.

“Correct, we will assign teams – or individual Hunters, depending on your choices – contracts that are closest to your locale. This way contracts can be solved faster, since there are plenty of Hunters to go around in every single Academy across the world.” Killian explains, and Winter looks over the document as well as Pyrrha slides it over to her.

“You will also have an upgraded pay from here-on-out. Unlike before where you made money with the Contracts, you would be paid every week for your employment. You will no longer have to worry about Contractors swindling you out of money like we have seen in the past, and you will have a steady income.” The Valerian Councilwoman explains to them.

“And believe it or not – you will have more freedom too. You will now be able to purchase property whenever you wish, the old rule was that Hunters would remain at the Academy until they reach twenty five years of age. Now? You can purchase property, start families, whenever you wish.” Killian explains to them, which raises a question in Yang’s mind…if Raven was twenty two when she left…does that mean she was born in Beacon, not in their home?

Pyrrha and Jaune look at each other, since this has been something they have talked about in the past. “So…we could buy a home somewhere…and when we are assigned a contract, that’s when we go out?” Blake asks.

“Precisely.” Killian nods his head.

Jaune looks at it all, and he realises that Ozpin really wasn’t lying, because the Vytal Consensus…actually makes a lot of sense and seems to be more beneficial than problematic now. The only troubling part is the lack of control over their choice of Contracts, but even then, they always seem to be the ones closest to wherever they are at the time. Ruby however does not seem to like it.

Neither do Yang, Nora, Ren, and Eryka.

Or Qrow for that matter.

Whereas the others seem a bit more accepting. “I understand this may take some time for you to make a choice. That is why I am leaving this copy of the Consensus in the Graduate Common Room, everyone will have the chance to sign. Talk it over…you have until the end of the month.” Killian says to them, and he walks away from them – the Councillors disappear as well.

Before Killian enters the elevator he sighs and turns. “I am sorry…” Killian says, and they all look at him. “For what I did – I do not expect you to forgive me – but I am.” Killian honestly tells them, as he turns and walks away, leaving them to make this choice. Qrow sighs as he reaches into his internal pocket to swig some alcohol from his flask – only to find it empty.

“Ah crap…” He groans.

“C’mon…let’s go to the bar in the Entertainment Building. Gotta have something good in there.” Eryka sighs.

“I’m gonna join you.” Winter says as she follows Qrow and Eryka out.

Leaving R.W.B.Y and J.N.P.R with the Vytal Consensus to talk about.

 

**Ruby**

The Graduate Common Room, a large soft room with multiple bright colours everywhere, beanbags and soft chairs scattered with a large television on the wall for gaming. Alongside a pool table and a bar, however Qrow, Eryka and Winter went to the one for the adults to use.

It was peaceful until Yang’s anger fills the air.

“I can’t believe you guys! Like, seriously? You’re actually mulling this over?” Yang spits, hands on her hips. Jaune, sitting at the coffee table, huffs as he sets the thick stack of paper down.

“Yang…” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “… We’re not ruling out being against it, I just think – like him or not – he made some good points. And there are some things in these documents that – not gonna lie – sound like they’ll help our futures.”

“I agree with Jaune.” Pyrrha says, sitting in the seat beside him. “We should seriously consider these documents.”

“Oh of course you agree with him.” Yang rolls her eyes, Pyrrha frowns at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Just because I am dating Jaune, doesn’t mean that if I don’t agree with him I’m not going to stand up for what I believe. I expected better of you, Yang.”

“Let’s not… “ Jaune lowers his voice. “… Let’s not fall out, okay? Yes, we all feel differently about this. But Yang, seriously. This could be good for us. All of us.”

“Yeah, or it could be bad.” Ruby adds from the beanbag in the corner. “We could end up with so much red tape, that we can’t help people because of it.”

“Yeah!” Nora chimes in from the kitchenette in the corner, stirring the spoon in her tea. “What if a town get’s attacked by the Grimm, and we need to get there pronto! What if it takes so long for those pen pushers to give us the go ahead that those people die! I-It’ll be Kuroyuri all over again. I-I  can’t… I” Nora hyperventilates, Ren calms her with a soothing touch of his hand, draining the colour from her body as he uses his Semblance on her so her stress fades.

“Yes, but… “ Blake pushes herself off the wall, uncrossing her arms. “The contracts are issued to the nearest huntsmen or teams. Meaning at least someone will get there, possibly quicker with some actual order to things. Not just a bunch of hot heads steaming in ready to kill monsters. But… I dunno.” Blake hugs her arms with a huff.

“No, you make a sound observation, Blake. Yang on the other hand needs to calm herself down and look past her nose at this.” Weiss frowns at the blonde brawler. Yang scoffs, sitting heavily in a wheeled desk chair, sliding back across the room.

“How long you gonna play both sides, Ice queen?” Yang snaps. Weiss growls at the mention of that resented nickname she has.

“Don’t call me that. I am merely stating that you haven’t properly read this yet, you haven’t calmed down long enough to read it. We on the other hand, have.” Weiss gestures to her side of the room; namely Jaune, Pyrrha, Blake and herself. “So I think…” Weiss presses her fingertips on the papers and slides them across the table into Yang’s lap. “…You should shut up, and read.”

Yang looks down at her lap, blinks, then picks up the papers and slaps them on the table.

“I’ve read enough to get the gist, Weiss.” Yang scoffs. “This here? This signs away any freedom we have in making any sort of call. Right, wrong, I don’t care. Huntsmen were supposed to protect when nobody else can, cos their hands are tied by good ol’ politics.”

“… Yang.” Jaune huffs, leaning back in his chair and spinning it slightly, rubbing his face with a groan. “You’re not seeing this clearly. I get it, I do. We’d have to be debriefed every mission, and yeah the idea of that sucks… majorly. But… if it helps in the long run? Gives us the official go ahead to do stuff without any sort of backlash later on if things go sour… well I think that’s worth signing.”

“And also…” Weiss adds. “Have you seen the protests outside? The Puritan Followers are getting more organised by the day.”

“It’s like the White Fang all over again.” Blake whimpers from the corner, afraid of what may happen.

“And if signing this brings peace to all those people who feel we need to be regulated?” Weiss picks up the ballpoint pen on the table, clicking it once. “Then I’ll sign it in a heartbeat. Because being a Huntress means sometimes giving up the things you love, to protect the weak and innocent.”

She lowers the pen to the dotted line, but in a flurry of petals, the pen is gone, and in Ruby’s hand.

“Not if you don’t have a pen.” Ruby waves it in the air.

“Ruby! This is serious!” Weiss snaps, holding her hand out. “Give me the pen!”

“NO! We’re not done talking!”

“I am! I’ve made up my mind!” Weiss stalks towards her, but Ruby runs around the table. “Give me the pen!”

“NO!”

“RUBY!”

Jaune huffs, shaking his head and looking to Ren. “Ren? Thoughts on this buddy?”

Ren sighs tapping his spoon on the edge of his cup, before walking over to the table, sitting besides Yang. He taps his fingers against Yang’s boots on the table, making her move her legs from in front of him.

“My thoughts? I’m with Nora, Ruby and Yang.”

The room freezes, Ruby holding the pen as high as she can while Weiss reaches for it.

“You are?” Ruby raises a brow, allowing Weiss the chance to snatch the pen. Ren sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I am. I’ve seen it before. When Huntsmen tied down by politics fail, not because they weren’t strong. But because they had so much red tape to manoeuvre, that they couldn’t do their jobs properly. Every little thing, they have to consider. Do I risk killing that Ursa, but damage the heritage building behind it? Having to answer to a room full of councillors and politicians, being made a guilty party in protecting the innocent, all because it didn’t please their agenda and rules. No. I can’t be what I signed up to be with all that red.” Ren finishes, sipping his tea. Jaune and Pyrrha blink at him, nodding.

“I… yeah, I get what you’re saying. But Ren, buddy… Times have changed, ARE changing. We don’t get with those times? We’ll get lost in the past, and something else that fits to their quota will fill the spot. At least this way we can still help people.”

“But not as many, right?” Nora scoffs, sipping her tea. Jaune blinks at her, then sighs.

“Yeah… Yeah I guess so. I dunno.”

An awkward silence befalls them.

Then Yang stands up and she slowly pulls the Black Feather from her back pocket, holding it by the end and they look at it with confusion. She sighs as she stares at the Corvid Feather in her grasp. “I’m starting to think she was right.”

Ruby’s silver eyes widen with disbelief at hearing Yang say that, after how she spoke to her mother earlier. The others on the other hand look at her with confusion. “Huh?” Jaune grunts as he looks at the blonde. She looks at them and Ruby pulls her feather from her pocket too with what seems to be shame.

“When we went back to our room? We found these feathers…and my mom was there.” Yang reveals, and their eyes widen and Weiss jolts up from her seat with total disbelief.

“Your mother? Who saved you from Neo?” Pyrrha asks for confirmation and she nods her head.

“Uh-huh…she found us…and she wants to go after Jack the Ripper. At first I didn’t agree with her…but who else can do it? I mean look, he wants us to follow him.” Yang states, and Jaune gets up and shakes his head.

“No, don’t you see how stupid that is? That’s what he wants! He’ll lead you into a trap!” Jaune argues as he walks towards her.

“But we can do it!” Ruby argues.

“Gods! How can you even think like that, Ruby? You keep this secret from us and now you wanna chase after a crazy Mass Murderer?” Weiss questions in a raised voice, but that just makes Ruby want to argue even louder.

“You want us to just let him go? After what he did to Glynda? To Yatsu? To Peony? To Ironwood?” Ruby lists with a raised voice, and Yang argues with Jaune at the same time.

“I am not about to let Killian and a bunch of stuck up Politicians allow that bastard to escape!” Yang yells.

“Killian is Black Ops! Let him do the dirty work!” Jaune argues. Until Ren and Nora set two Black Feathers down on the table as well, and they now all stare at them with disbelief as well.

“We…saw them on our pillows.” Nora admits shyly as she looks at the ground.

“Oh gods…no…you are not going after him. He will be waiting for you, leave this to the professionals.” Jaune begs.

“We _are_ professionals now, Jaune.” Ruby reminds.

“We are _FAMILY_!” Weiss snaps, yelling so loud that her voice cracks, tears in her blue eyes as she stares at Ruby and Yang, then at Ren and Nora. “You…don’t walk away from your family. That’s what you said to me once.” Weiss stammers, and Ruby closes her silver eyes with grief, looking away from Weiss.

“But…we can’t…we can’t let him get away.” Nora softly says.

“So what? You wanna go against Killian and the Black Gallows? You won’t stand a chance against him, and who’s to say that won’t add more fuel to the fire? It’s the last thing we need right now.” Jaune huffs as he walks away from them.

“He’s right, this isn’t like before. This isn’t Roman Torchwick, this isn’t the White Fang or Adam – this is the Unified Remnant Government we’re talking about here. You will all become criminals if you do this. Please…just…think.” Blake begs them as she walks over and Ren looks at them and he sighs, picking the feather back up and putting it in his pocket.

“The Ripper must be stopped – but…I also see your point.” Ren states, and Ruby looks at him with tearful eyes.

“Gods…I need some air.” Yang says as she walks towards the doors. They split apart from the tense argument, Ruby follows her with Ren and Nora behind them. All of them carrying their feathers in their pockets. As they walk outside, they look around, to see Qrow leant against the wall.

“That didn’t go well.” He chuckles.

“Uncle Qrow?” Ruby gasps.

“You four…you got the Black Feathers, huh?” Qrow asks the four of them, and they look at each other, and then at Qrow. Until they see Eryka beside him, also with one in her hand.

“You too?” Yang questions.

“Yup…found it in my bag. Winter and I…have a disagreement on what to do next. We don’t agree on the Consensus.” Eryka states and Ruby sighs.

“I also know, Yang – you spoke with my sister, didn’t you?” He asks her, and Yang raises a brow.

“How…did you know?” Yang asks him with confusion.

“I know my sister…she has always kept her eye on you, made sure you were safe. She isn’t stupid, the Ripper marked you, all of you.” Qrow says to them all, and they know that this means they can leave the Academy without setting off the bombs. “But…that means we will have to go rogue if we do.”

“Rogue…” Ruby whimpers, she never wanted to end up like those monsters…

…but sometimes you need to fight fire with fire.

Ruby looks at Yang and she knows her sister would follow her anywhere, and Eryka is already onboard. So she turns her silver eyes to Nora and Ren who look at each other…and then at them. “He can’t get away with this, and he will just trick the Gallows.” Ren states.

“We will be playing by _his_ rules. Best way to do that, is go to the person who knows him just as well as he does.” Eryka says as she looks at Qrow.

Yang blows out a shaky breath. “My mom…she said she would be at my dad’s tonight.” Yang states.

“Then that’s where we go. But we will have to do it at night.” Qrow tells them.

“I don’t like this…they will hate us for this.” Ruby says to them. “…but…we owe this to Glynda. To everyone that the Ripper killed.” Ruby growls, nodding her head to her Uncle.

It is decided.

Ruby, Yang, Nora. Ren, Eryka and Qrow – are gonna have to go rogue.

 

**Hours Later…**

Midnight has arrived…

Team R.W.B.Y approach their respective beds with their weapons leant against the desk in the corner. Ruby and Yang both climb up the bunkbeds to their top bunks, and they lay down on them, sighing as they lay there. There is a thick sense of tension in the team after their debate over the Consensus. Ruby fits her arm behind the back of her head, but her and Yang are both thinking about what they are gonna have to do tonight…going rogue…against their own team…it will not be something that will sit right.

Ruby turns when she sees Weiss peek her head up and she looks at Ruby. “Ruby?” She softly says as she looks at her.

“Hmm?” She replies.

“It’s gonna be okay…we’ll talk in the morning, okay?” She asks her, and Ruby nods her head with a small smile.

“Okey-doke…” Ruby softly says and Weiss smiles.

“Goodnight.” Weiss says as she gets back onto her bed to go to sleep, and Blake smiles, tucking herself in.

“Goodnight.” Blake also says, and Ruby sighs.

“Goodnight.” She says, looking up at the ceiling.

They wait until the two of them are asleep, and they look at each other. They both slowly and carefully slide off their beds and quietly land on their bare feet, not making a sound. They pick up their boots and Ruby grabs her bag in the corner, with Crescent Rose too. Yang does the exact same thing and they stay close, hearts pounding as they approach the door.

Ruby carefully opens the door…but she stops, looking back at Weiss and Blake as Ren and Nora do the same.

“I’m sorry…”

 

 


	8. Rogue

**Ruby**

When going rogue against the Government, the shadows become your best friend.

That is something that Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren will need to learn tonight, but luckily they have Qrow and Eryka with them – two warriors who have had to use stealth on many occasions. They stay close to the ground as they drop out the window from the dorm room together, meeting the two Hunters outside, weapons at the ready in case this goes south. Nora holds Stormur Skeggox close to her body, looking around slowly as she feels the cold night air against her skin, and Ren holds Stormflower tight, the green blades sharpened and magazines filled up with dust bullets. Ruby holds Crescent Rose in rifle form, her red hood pulled over her head and Yang with her orange balaclava over her mouth and nose.

They need to be extra careful, due to how colourful they are, something that Eryka thought of, since she is now wearing a hood over her head with her bow in her grasp. “You four ready?” Qrow asks them all, as they hear a Black Gallows airship slowly patrolling the skies of Beacon Academy, so they take cover behind a building in the darkness. The ship floats over their heads, most likely scanning the area, making sure that there are no individuals trying to break the rules.

“Yeah…but we still need to get past the Black Gallows.” Yang whispers with Ember Celica at the ready in case this goes bad.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got eyes in the sky.” Eryka assures, looking up at the starry night to see the black silhouette of an Altum Eagle gliding overhead, which is when her eyes glow gold and she sees through Dulcis’ eyes. Not a Semblance, but merely an ability she learned when bonding with such a rare and devoted creature. As he glides, he looks around, able to pick up the locations and movements of the soldiers from all the way up there. “Crap…” Eryka softly says, and Ruby looks at her with worry in her silver eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Ruby inquires with concern.

“There’s a lot of Black Gallows soldiers around the area. They have lots of defences set up too…even some tanks.” She states as she looks around, and Qrow raises a brow with worry.

“What the hell? Why would Killian bring tanks to keep people in?” He questions, and Eryka returns back to her own eyes as she holds her bow tight.

“I dunno…The guy may have Remnant’s future in mind but he’s a little too paranoid.” Eryka states, in which Ren chuckles.

“Well…we are trying to sneak out when he specifically told us not to. So maybe he’s not wrong on that front.” Ren points out, making Eryka shrug her shoulders in agreement since he is also one hundred percent correct on that part. Qrow touches the side of the building and he peers round slowly, seeing that the soldiers are still on patrol, then they suddenly spin round and aim their rifles in a particular direction.

“Out! Now!” The soldier yells with an intimidating voice, then the suspects emerge with hands over their heads, and the soldiers all sigh and lower their rifles. They are two third years – a couple by the looks of things – who seemed like they were wanting to have a little fun. Clearly they must have forgotten the curfew that the Black Gallows have set into place over their heads right now. “Having fun?” One of the other soldiers asks the scared couple.

“I-I’m sorry…we…”

“It’s alright. Get back to your dorms.” The soldier says with a heavy sigh, turning away from them with his rifle in his hands, shaking his head as they remain on patrol. Qrow scoffs as he leans back against the wall, turning to the others.

“Who was it?” Nora asks.

“Two third years – wanting to lose their virginity together by the looks of it.” Qrow chuckles, and they shake their heads, well except for Eryka who just chuckles.

“I like their style.” Eryka chuckles, and Ruby shudders.

“Gross.”

“Hey, kiddo. One day you’ll have a boyfriend – or girlfriend – either way is fine.” Eryka shrugs as she crouches down beside her, and she shakes her head like a little kid.

“I’m good.” She assures, and Yang just rolls her eyes at Eryka before she returns back to the mission at hand.

“What about you, blondie? Anyone special in mind?” Eryka asks her curiously.

“Nope.” She answers bluntly.

“Fair enough.” Eryka replies, and Qrow just gives Eryka a deadpan at her choice of moment to discuss the love life of these Graduates.

“How’s it looking out there?” Ren asks, getting back onto the more appropriate subject at hand right now. Qrow peers round, but the Black Gallows are still in great force inside of the Academy Grounds, and will shoot on sight if they try and leave the grounds.

“A few more minutes until we have a window.” Qrow answers with a soft yet gravelly voice, rubbing his aching knees from being crouched down for so long. The Agents of the Black Gallows continue their patrol with their glowing red visors so bright that they can be seen from all the way over here, right by Oobleck’s old Building where he would teach them history. Ruby looks at the wall and she closes her saddened eyes, seeing the memorial plaque on the wall to honour him.

_Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck_

_Loved Doctor by all, and even better teacher_

_(And lover of coffee)_

  * _Never Forgotten in our hearts_



She forces her silver eyes away from the plaque, focusing on her surroundings as Qrow waits to move. Qrow’s red eyes watch the patrolling Soldiers walking across the courtyard, and then they turn down one of the pathways. He looks at them, and finally they can advance with the thanks to his nod that he gives them. Staying low to the ground, they move across the courtyard, footfalls almost silent as they traverse the cobblestone ground, avoiding the puddles from a recent rainfall.

They pass by the alleyway that the soldiers just entered as they look around, their rifles in their grasp as they shine lights down different paths. Each of them quickly roll past the alley, avoiding it and any possible detection at all costs. Yang keeps close to her sister and her uncle, with Eryka, Nora and Ren behind her, their weapons still at the ready. Qrow pushes his shoulder against the wall of another building, peering round the corner to see more Raven Talons walking through across the pathway, more of them around the colonnades. “There’s soldiers everywhere…we need to make this quick.” Qrow whispers.

“We can’t risk going for a car, they will have the car parks on tightened lockdown.” Eryka states, then Ren notices something and he narrows his eyes. Across the courtyard and near the entrance to Vale is an Forward Operating Base that the Black Gallows deployed. And stationed there right now is a Black Gallows wasp, one that they could steal.

“There’s a Wasp over there, we could take it.” Ren suggests, and Nora gives Yang a glare.

“Shame Raven’s not here…y’know…could’ve opened a portal for us.” Nora teases with a grin, but Yang is not in a joking mood, as she just gives Nora a pretty hard glare. That defuses Nora’s attempt to annoy Yang, and the blonde haired daughter of the Branwen sister stares ahead.

“It’s risky, Ren. They will hear it take off, and they probably have a tracker onboard.” Qrow explains, which is when Eryka comes up with an idea.

“Can we break the tracker? Or scramble it?” Eryka suggests, and they all look at each other.

“We could, but we’d have to find it. And I don’t know how long that Wasp will stay there.” Qrow explains, giving Yang the chance to grow a grin on her face.

“Then we’ll make sure it stays there.” Yang states, cracking her knuckles. “One way or another.”

“We can’t risk detection, Yang. They have tech and weapons that could reduce us to ash in seconds. Do not underestimate these guys, they could put down Huntsmen in seconds. It’s their job.” Qrow reminds, and the mere idea of that is quite scary. It also does raise the question of the point of having Huntsmen in the first place if there is already something stronger to control them – but perhaps that is why. To have that weapon to use in case things get bad, a contingency plan.

“Then we do it quiet. Any Raven Talons get close, we knock them out quick and hide their bodies in the dark. As soon as we can, we take off and escape, maybe even find some launch codes so then we can get out of there without being chased.” Ruby suggests, and Eryka nods her head.

“If the pilot is close to the ship, we can force him to let us fly off.” Eryka states.

“You think a Raven Talon would? These guys…I dunno…They call them Stockholm Troopers for a reason. They are people who are completely loyal to them, they would die first.” Ren states, and Nora looks around as they keep discussing it.

“I can get him to talk, don’t worry.” She says, and Qrow sighs, scratching his stubbled jawline.

“Let’s just go, and pray that this doesn’t go to hell.” Qrow states, and the six of them move forward to begin this little stealthy operation they have come up with. Qrow rushes ahead of them with Eryka beside him, leaving the younger Hunters where they were, waiting for his and Eryka’s call. Eryka slides across the stones, pressing her hand against the wall, peering round the side to check the area. She nods her head to them as she stands tall, patrolling the area some more as she keeps her bow nocked, making each step precise and silent.

But as she keeps moving, Qrow grabs her by the shoulder and pulls her down behind a crate, just in time as well. Because the heavy metallic footfalls of something new emerges. Towering above them, standing nearly eight feet tall, is a Robot. Unlike the inferior Atlesian Knights, these things are more rectangular in shape, heavily armoured and bulky machines with massive guns in their hands, alongside a few gadgets in places. And inside of a glowing visor, it has a single spherical camera-like eye that looks around, glowing red as it scans the area. “Sector Secure.” The computerised voice of the robot says.

These machines – known as Trojans – are extremely deadly, things that Qrow has seen before in his time out there in the wilds. The Trojans are known for being a challenge for any Huntsman, let alone a student and especially not when there are five of them walking around the outskirts. Qrow keeps his hand up to Ruby and co, trying to come up with an idea of how to distract the Mechanised Soldier. Every footstep causes the floor to vibrate, and they can hear the metallic groaning of every single movement of the jet black robot. It paces back and forth, scanning the area repeatedly to make sure there are no signs of company.

Eryka exhales, looking at Qrow. “What do we do?” She asks him, and Qrow peers round the crate, and he checks inside to see what is inside of it. Just some food supplies that were left behind, so he picks up a bag of chips and he stares at the machine. Luckily they already have some food in their bags for the journey, they thought of that part. He takes that bag and throws it, ducking back down, and as soon as it hits the ground, the Trojan spins round. The machine aims in the direction of the sound, instantly switching to high alert as it investigates the scene.

They cannot risk making a sound, these things have extremely advanced hearing for robots, better than their sight allegedly. The camera may be good, but it does make them easier to sneak past, because it can only look one way. The four keep low as they make their way to their older friends, crouched behind the same crate. “Those are new, right?” Ren asks.

“No, I’ve seen the Gallows use them before, but never in this force though.” He states, and they quickly advance past the robots that patrol the area, the one that investigated the packet crouches down and picks it up. It turns and returns it right back to the crate, since it scanned the bag and knew which container it would have come from due to the code on the bag. Nora holds Stormur Skeggox tight, ready to bury the blade of her axe straight into the power core of one of these bulky machines that walks around the area. For each one, they wait, wait for an opportunity to get past them, and then they rush to the next piece of cover.

As they hide behind another crate, they duck further down, as a huge Armoured Personnel Carrier, with up to twenty Black Gallows Stockholm Troopers inside, drives right past them. The engine growls like a Goliath, the huge bullet-proof tires roll across the cobblestone and eventually tarmac as it heads down towards the deployed bases. Yang looks up at the sky, her eyes focusing on the Shadow of Broken Promises overhead. She can just make out the outline thanks to the odd glowing red or white light in the sky from the internal compartments.

That and there are some drones hovering around the area, returning back to the bases to be recharged. They must have had those little drones on and investigating the Academy at night. They really do have this place on lockdown. The soldiers keep marching up and down the streets, some of them Raven Talons and others are Ebony Sabres, the heavy weapons soldiers in those huge mechanised suits. They can be seen exiting them as they go to the Barracks to get some rest for the night, and the Night Shift Patrolmen are now out here, Airships patrolling the skies as well.

But luckily, they do not know that they have a breach on their hands yet. As the six of them move past the Trojan Bots, Ruby looks at the wall and she moves ever so carefully, her heart pounding. This is the moment of truth, if these feathers really will let them leave the Academy Grounds without being blown to kingdom come. She slowly and carefully crosses the border marked by the bombs, and luckily there is no detonation beep. Just silence, meaning that they are all safe. The feathers must be loaded with some kind of beacon that informs the bombs that these people are allowed to pass.

Using the shadows as their ally, the Rogues rush ahead, sticking to the darkness as best as they can. They head down towards the deployed base that the Black Gallows set up. Entire buildings dropped down from Airships so then they can act as temporary operating stations for their men when in tricky situations. A great idea, allows for faster base building times and more time to lend to their men on missions. That and it is very convenient, can build a base pretty much anywhere.

Ren lifts his pistols as he walks forward with Eryka and Nora beside him, moving ever so softly, Qrow, Yang and Ruby behind him with their weapons raised. They still stick to the shadows, avoiding the light.

As they walk towards the Wasp, suddenly a Soldier emerges from one of the buildings in front of them to check on the files. They hear the other end of his conversation through the voice distorter used in the helmet. “Heard the Wasp over there is in need for some repairs. Where’s the engineer at?” The soldier asks, and over the radio they can hear the response.

“Not sure, he should be back by now. Maybe he got lost.” The other soldier says on the other end of the radio. The soldier stands there, and they gasp as a spotlight shines upon them, so they duck down into the shadows. The Airship hovering over gleams the light around the area as it searches for any trespassers, but luckily it did not spot him. As the Airship passes, the others remain ducked down into darkness, whilst Eryka gets up and she swings round and kicks him in the face. So hard that he collapses to the ground with a heavy thud, and she drags him into the darkness to avoid detection. “That was close…” Ren softly says to her, and Eryka winks as she shoves him up against the wall, tapping his nose like Nora does to her boyfriend on occasion.

“Nicely done, Eryka.” Qrow says to her, and Eryka nods.

“He’ll wake up with a hell of a headache in the morning.” She chuckles, but then, she gets an idea as she looks at his body and the armour. She looks at Qrow and she chuckles. “Wait…Qrow you could fit in this.”

“Huh?” He asks her.

“The helmets use voice changers, right? Hide identities of their soldiers? Make them all operate as one entity?” She asks him and he nods his head.

“Then why don’t we just use that as a reason? You get in the armour and get to the cockpit.” She suggests.

They all look at each other before looking at Qrow, since it could work. Killian’s whole logic of having every soldier be taught and fight the same way will now be shown as the flaw it really is. Since anyone could just take the helmet and armour and get aboard. “Alright…give me a second.” Qrow says as he drags the soldier’s unconscious body into the building. The rest of them wait outside as Qrow changes his clothes into this armour, and they all look around.

To say Ruby feels absolutely terrified is the understatement of the century, she has never done anything like this before. The stunt they pulled with Torchwick years ago, not telling Ozpin, Glynda and Ironwood about what they had learned was one thing, but going against the Unified Remnant Council is something else entirely. They will hunt them to the ends of the Earth. As Ruby thinks about that, she gets living proof of that fact, and the photograph on the table is living proof of that. It is an old Wanted Poster from four years ago, when the world was hellbent on tracking Neopolitan down and bringing her to justice.

But nobody ever found her, still hasn’t.

Little do they know she is currently in a Black Cell right now, in Killian’s custody. Yang gently taps her sister’s shoulder, seeing her touch her belly for merely seeing her face gave her a few faint phantom stabbing pains from that night. “Hey…you okay?” She whispers. She can still remember how scared she was, when she was pushed face down, and felt Neo’s hand grabbing her hair and yanking her head back, to cut open her throat like a butcher. It was the most scared she had ever been in her entire life. She is scared now, but not in the same way…not in the _I don’t want to die like this_ kind of way.

There was so much blood…so much pain.

But Ruby shakes her bad memory away and turns back to her supportive sister. “Mhm…just…remembered is all.” She says and Yang does not decide to press any further, seeing her touch her stomach and the picture of Neo was enough. The loving sister gently puts her arm around her, kissing the top of her head as she holds her close. She will never leave her side, they are sisters forever, and will never leave one another’s side.

Qrow finally returns, his normal clothes all folded up and he shoves it into Nora’s rucksack, and they look at him as he holds the helmet in his hand. “How do I look?” He asks.

“Like a scary Black Ops dude.” Yang answers.

“Awesome. Wish me luck.” Qrow says, as he puts the helmet on, and his voice is all distorted into the same one that all Black Gallows soldiers have. Even women, they all sound the same because of these helmets. A massive flaw in their design, in an attempt to make their soldiers more equal – they have made them even riskier. Qrow moves just like them, rifle in his hands as he approaches the Wasp, and he looks at the pilot who is inside.

“Talon, what’s your business?” The Pilot questions as he steps forward.

“Engineering, heard the Wasp needed some repairs?” Qrow asks as he stands there.

“Oh, about time you showed up. Go on, have a look. Got your tools already in there.” The Pilot says as he steps aside, and Qrow walks right past him, he quickly looks around and then he punches the soldier in the back of the head so hard it drops him. Qrow waves them over, so they rush to his position, running into the open Wasp as Qrow rolls him out, and Eryka drags his body over to the shadows, hiding him there. They all enter, and Qrow closes the rear door.

“Wow…I can’t believe that actually worked.” Ruby giggles, and Qrow takes off the helmet.

“Was there any doubt?” Qrow chuckles as he and Ren crouch down in front of the electronics where the tracker is located, or at least where they think it is. “So…which one do you think it is?” He asks, until Nora suddenly stabs the entire thing with a screwdriver, shredding the electronics inside, and eventually breaking the tracker inside.

_Tracker Disabled._

_Air Conditioning Disabled._

_Wi-Fi Disabled._

_Speaker System Disabled_

A few other things shut off, but they are merely things they have absolutely no clue about. Qrow looks at Eryka and she nods as she sits down. “Ever flown a Black Gallows Wasp before?” He asks her.

“Uh-huh…well…we crashed it.” Eryka remembers, as they used one and flew it into the side of a Goliath during the Battle against the Black Smog four years prior.

“Eh, that’s good enough.” Qrow says as they start priming the engines whilst the others start strapping themselves in. Ruby looks back, through the window as the stealth red lights turn on around them, and Ruby exhales one last breath – knowing she will never be allowed back in Beacon ever again after this.

But they have to.

She needs to know the truth.

The Wasp rises up into the air, thrusters glowing blue and long triangular wings moving like wings as it rises above the ground, and suddenly, they hit the afterburners, blasting off into the distance. The Black Gallows soldiers turns sharply as the ship leaves their area and they all stand with disbelief.

“Dark Eclipse? We have an unauthorised launch. We can’t track it.” A Raven Talon tells Killian, and on the other end he gets a calm response.

“Understood.” Killian says to him, whereas on the other side Killian sets down his scroll and he clenches his hands into fists. He punches the wall and yells in anger. “DAMN!”

This was the last thing he wanted…if he cannot get the Huntsmen and Huntresses to fall in line…

…Salem will go on to massacre thousands.

 

**Sun**

A cold artificial wind blows across his pained cheek, laid on the ground as the Praetorian Knight from four years ago stabs down at the ghostly ground beneath him. Sun yells with terror, punching erratically at the towering titan of metal and rubble, swinging that Sceptre at him with great rage. The demonic and dark voice of the Praetorian Knight howls, as it picks him up and throws him with one hand, sending him crashing across the smoky terrain.

“Sun!” Blake’s voice cries out as she runs to his aid, desperately attempting to aid him, as the hot sticky blood from his wound blinds his eye.

“Blake…get out…of here…” Sun weakly begs her, as he looks past the black haired Feline, the Praetorian Knight paces back and forth, before spinning the Sceptre through its fingers and charges towards them. Blake spins round and she slashes Gambol Shroud across the bladed Sceptre, sparks burst out from the impact and she ducks down from the spinning attack it threw towards her. She slides past it and cuts her blade across its side.

Until a shrill scream of agony erupts from Blake, as the Praetorian Knight swings that Sceptre round, and the curved blade digs into her eyes. It slashes her horizontally, cutting her eyes out completely and blinding her in the process. Blake screeches in agony and Sun gets up to try and save her. “BLAKE!” Sun screams with terror, sprinting towards the Praetorian Knight, only for it to catch him by the throat and lift him off the ground, choking him in its powerful grasp. It turns and silently stares at the shrieking Blake Belladonna who still pushes her hands into her ruined eyes.

And then…it takes the Sceptre and stabs it straight through her heart, right in front of Sun. Sun screams in horror as he reaches for her, only for the Knight to slam him down beside his dead girlfriend. It takes the Sceptre and stares down at him, its sharp and sinister voice burning into his mind. “There are more…many more…this…is just the beginning.” The Praetorian Knight promises, and then stabs Sun straight through the chest to finish the job.

That was when he finally woke from his nightmare, in a cold sweat he gasps, sitting up suddenly and panting with terror. He looks at his chest, only to see the buttons of his comfortable sleeping shirt on, buttoned up to hide that scar he has across his torso, but not the one on his face. But thankfully there is no hole in his chest, no blood – and he is still alive. But it all felt so real, so he gets up and sits forward, pressing his hand against his forehead as he ponders on that nightmare.

This has not been the first one of these nightmares he has had of the Praetorian Knight, that monster still haunts him. What it did to Oobleck and so many others – what it did to him…

He never forgot and it is a certainty that he never will be able to forget what happened that night. Every now and then he sees it, stood there like it is about to finish the job, to kill him and everyone he has ever held dear. He itches his head with tears running down from his eyes, traumatised by his memories. So he gets up and takes Ruyi Jingu Bang with him, and he quietly opens the door and exits the dorm where the rest of his team are currently asleep. He closes it behind him and he leans against the door, controlling his breathing.

“Alright Sun…just…breathe normally…” Sun mutters to himself, as he simply breathes in and out, controlling his heart rate. He looks at the heart monitor watch on his wrist, and it is sky rocketing. But luckily the more he controls his breathing, the better the rate gets, decreasing slowly to a steady number. “…she’s okay…you know she is. The Praetorian Knight is gone…it can’t hurt us…” He stammers, but the final words that thing spoke before destroying itself all those years ago…they still eat away at him.

_This is just the beginning._

But the beginning of what?

Sun looks at his Bo-Staff in his hands, clutching it tight with shaking hands, he is sadly not the unbreakable Huntsman he used to be. He struggles to see the best in things anymore, and all he tries now is to make others happy, instead of caring for his own mental health. So Sun huffs and he walks down the hallway, to the place he always goes when he gets woken up by a nightmare.

The Gym.

Upon arrival there he opens the door, and sees that his trusty boxing bag is still hanging exactly where he left it. Hanging there motionlessly, so as he approaches it he sets Ruyi Jingu Bang down against the wall, staring at it as he wraps some cloth around his knuckles. He raises his fists, and he starts to throw punches at it, over and over again, his anger building with every strike he sends into the swinging punching bag.

But as he fights, a memory comes into his mind, of when he had a recent event like this a few months ago.

 

A few months prior…

Sun punches the bag over and over again, the shockwaves from the impact of his fist ripples the sweat from his skin, blowing the dust from the old punching bag too. The chain rattles as the bag swings back and forth, and then he swings round and punches it so hard it swings right back and bumps into him. He staggers back from it and he sighs, until the pleasant giggle of Blake gets him to turn, seeing her standing in the doorway. “Bag giving you trouble?” She coos softly as she walks over to him, looking at him as he rubs his tired eyes, eyes that really need to get some sleep.

“Yeah, just one of _many_ things.” Sun sighs as he touches the black medical filament in his scar that stabilised the bleeding from his wound. He winces, since the sweat can sometimes inflame the skin, but this is the only way he can stay active and fit, even though his muscular tone has decreased due to his mental problems. Blake approaches him, with a towel over her shoulder so she throws it to him.

“You keep forgetting to take one.” Blake says to him, and he sighs, holding it and he daps the scar with it. It has been four years now since he got that injury, and even though it has healed now, the filament does cause problems. The sweat is only one problem, but sometimes it causes him to suffer from aching pains and not only that – the worst – is a similar case of muscle atrophy on that side of his face. Or a slight case of paralysis, something Blake has actually seen, which is a very frightening experience, since she keeps thinking he is suffering from some form of stroke.

But now…he has to live with these problems for the rest of his life, because that stuff saved him, and now cannot be removed without doing worse damage to him than the initial injury itself. “I keep thinking maybe cauterizing my face would’ve been better.” Sun sighs, and Blake shakes her head as she holds his hand with one hand, and the other gently pressed to his shirtless body.

“No Sun, you know why they had to use this stuff.” Blake says to him, and he sighs, nodding his head.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. The blade damaged some of my organs and the wound would have worsened too.” Sun sighs as he wipes the sweat from his face with the towel. “I just wish it wouldn’t give me so many problems.” Sun states as he touches the metallic filament in his body. She gently caresses his chest with her finger, before she kisses him on the lips, giving him a big hug.

“I’m…always here for you Sun, if you want to talk you know I will be there.” Blake promises her boyfriend, since she feels she needs to remind him sometimes. It has never stopped being upsetting for her, to see Sun this way. The guy who has always been so optimistic and happy, seeing him depressed and broken in a way like this – it hurts, and worries her.

“Yeah…I know.” He gently says as he caresses her black hair. He steps away from her and stares at the punching back, stopping the swinging thing with his hand. But then Blake pulls him away from the bag and she raises her fists after quickly tying her black hair up into a ponytail. “Uh…what’re you doing?” Sun asks her with concern.

“You’re never gonna win against a Punching Bag. Come on, spar with me.” She says, and Sun raises a brow.

“That why you came down here? Is that why you’re awake right now?” He asks her, and she shakes her head.

“You’re not the only one who still has nightmares of the Black Smog, Sun. But I woke up because Ruby had a nightmare of Neo.” Blake tells her, and Sun sighs and closes his eyes, feeling for her because she never deserved to be attacked the way she did by Neo. They nearly lost her that night, because of a crazy Assassin driven by a rage fuelled hunger for revenge. “I stepped out, and saw you walking down the hall. I…didn’t want you to be alone.” Blake says to her boyfriend, her words touch him and he smiles. “So come on…” She says as she lifts her fists again.

Sun lifts his fists, but he has this notion to never hit her. He stands there, and he looks at her as she paces in a circle with him. “I…don’t feel comfortable punching you.” Sun says, until suddenly she punches him square in the face, and he staggers back. “Ow…my brainbox!” He squeals, and Blake giggles.

“I doubt I’ll be the bruised one.” She states with a grin, in which Sun turns and the old Sun seems to return when she challenges him like that.

“Oh-ho…you’re in for a treat.” He says, raising his fists, circling his girlfriend who takes the first swing again. She swings towards him, but he pushes her hand aside and swings right back. She blocks the punch with her forearm and then she slides past him, swiping him onto his back. He grunts as he hits the floor, but rolls aside when Blake goes to sit on him, but as he gets up, he pounces on her, holding her down against the floor. “Ooh…so what’re we gonna do now?” He asks her, and she softly bites her lip, before wrapping her legs around his torso, and twisting round, forcing him down to the ground. She gets up and keeps her fists up, walking around him as he gets back up.

Sun swings at her, but she pushes his fist out the way, but then he nails her in the cheek. She flinches and staggers, immediately making Sun’s eyes widen and he gasps with upset. “Oh! I’m so sorry, are you okay?” He reaches out to her, but she swings round and roundhouse kicks him, sending him bouncing off the punching bag. He groans, only to hear Blake giggling away as he stands there.

“You are so predictable.” She says as she walks over to him.

“Sorry…for…loving you, I guess?” He asks her with a chuckle, then she lies down next to him, holding his hand as she then turns and rests her cheek on his warm body, caressing his chest.

“Right answer.” She giggles, making him chuckle too.

 

Back in the present day.

He keeps punching the boxing bag, alone, sweat bursting from his body from every single punch made towards the bag, his teeth gritted together with every punch. He keeps picturing their faces, the faces of his enemies: Adam Taurus, The Praetorian Knight, Killian, Neopolitan, Cinder, Mercury, Emerald!

He punches it hard, but this time he moves out of the swinging path of the boxing bag. He sighs as it swings back and forth next to him, pressing his hand to it to make it stop as it comes past. He turns when he hears a voice clear their throat, and he sees Neptune standing there. Also looking rather tired, but seems like he must have heard Sun get up and leave the Dormitory. “Hey, Neptune.” Sun says as he stops the swinging bag.

“Hey, buddy.” He says as he walks in there, and Sun turns to the towel he remembered to bring with him this time, picking it up and wiping the sweat from his brow. Neptune looks at his friend as he keeps getting ready, staring at the bag and raising his fists, never wanting to stop, and always aiming to stay in shape no matter what. “You really need to get some shut eye man, you’re gonna burn yourself out.” Neptune asks him.

“I can’t…not yet.” He says, punching the bag again.

“So the bag’s gotta suffer? Look at it, it’s had enough.” Neptune chuckles, and Sun stares at him before looking at the bag, the many dents in the leather he left behind. “I know you had another nightmare, I saw you leave.”

“You did, huh?” Sun scoffs.

“We’re worried about you, Blake too. Everyone is.” Neptune states, and Sun shakes his head.

“I’m fine.” He growls.

“The hell you’re not. You can’t sleep, you barely eat and all you do now is beat up a punching bag. I know that Praetorian Knight thing messed you up –”

“I’M NOT MESSED UP!” He argues, punching the bag so hard that the back breaks off the chain and crashes across the room. Sun pants with anger, but that anger turns to tears as he falls to his knees, and Neptune crouches down beside him. “I’m not scared of the Knight…or dying…” He admits, looking at his friend. “I can’t lose her…or any of you…”

Neptune smiles softly as he pats his shoulder. “The Ripper’s attack…I thought that was it…we lost Glynda, Peony, Yatsu, Ironwood. I can’t lose anyone else.” He tells him, then Sun feels his shoulder get squeezed by his brother by choice.

“You won’t. C’mon, get some rest. You’ll feel better in the morning.” He assures.

Sun sniffles, wiping the tears from his face and he picks up his shirt and towel. “Yeah…alright.”

 

**Ruby**

The Wasp Descends through the clouds towards the Island of Patch, beautiful trees everywhere, emerald green from the summer weather and the lack of Autumn’s wilting on their leaves. Ruby looks past her Uncle’s shoulder to see her father’s house beneath them, Yang standing beside her. “We’re here.” Qrow says as the Wasp slowly descends towards the ground, the landing gear unfolds and the long splayed out wings fold together behind the ship, the rear ramp door folds out onto the soil. Nora and Ren step out first and they look around, remembering when they came here for the sleepover for Yang four years prior.

“Been a while since we were here…” Nora says and Ren nods his head.

“Yes it has…though I wish it were under better circumstances.” Ren states as Ruby, Yang, Qrow and Eryka walk over to them. Qrow does not say a word, he just walks straight past them and moves towards the door, seeing it open and Taiyang standing in the doorway. They can tell that she is here merely from the look on Taiyang’s face. Qrow steps aside so then Ruby and Yang can hug their father lovingly, who gently kisses the top of their heads. Qrow looks at them and Eryka walks over to his shoulder.

“This is gonna be big, right?” Eryka asks, and Qrow scoffs.

“To put it mildly.” Qrow agrees as he follows them into the house, Nora and Ren at the rear as the Wasp engages its stealth systems to hide from any potential followers from Beacon Academy. They walk through the open door, and Qrow stops as he sees her sat there on the chair, her Odachi resting on her lap as always as she looks at them all. Taiyang walks past and looks back at them.

“So he’s back…truly?” Taiyang asks Qrow.

“Yeah, he attacked Beacon. Killed Glynda and James.” Qrow tells him, and his eyes widen with disbelief at hearing that two old friends of his are now long gone.

“This is bad.” Taiyang says, and they all look at the adults in the room.

“Will you please just tell us what is going on now?” Yang asks, and Raven holds her hand out to the large sofa against the wall, looking at the children.

“Take a seat…this will need some, explaining.” She tells them, and the four of them look at each other and they squeeze together onto the sofa, looking at Raven whilst Taiyang sits down in the other chair. Eryka and Qrow remain standing, Qrow leant against the wall with his arms crossed and Eryka against the doorframe with her hand on her hip. Raven looks at Yang and her daughter just sighs.

“You were right.” Yang admits.

“You made your choice, it’s all any of us can do, right?” Raven asks her.

“I guess.” Yang sighs as she ruffles her blonde hair. Raven leans forward and she clasps her hands together, blowing out a shaky breath.

“You wanted to know about our past with Jack the Ripper. You’re not stupid you can deduce we have history with him – but it is more personal than that.” Raven begins to explain as she squeezes her hands together.

“Why?” Ruby curiously asks her, so Raven looks directly at Yang.

“It’s because…he is your Uncle.” She reveals, and Yang gasps as her eyes widen. “He’s our oldest brother…his name is Jackdaw Branwen.” Raven finally unveils the truth upon the four of them, and their eyes widen with pure shock and awe at this reveal, because that was something they never expected, even though there is the clear link between names. But yet again, they just assumed that was not the full link.

“What?” Yang questions.

“It was always the three of us, back when we were part of the tribe, unified. There was Qrow, who was more idealistic with his beliefs from the start. There was me, and I was always more loyal to the tribe than anything else.” Raven explains, glancing at both her brother and Taiyang who just look away from her when she says that. Clearly there are still some open wounds from that topic that have not fully healed yet. Especially since she chose the Tribe of Criminals over her husband and daughter when she was a new born. “But Jackdaw? He was the weapon that the Tribe used. He was the strongest, most violent – and most dangerous.”

“Is…he the reason you ran?” Ren asks, since he knows about what Yang told Blake, since she eventually opened up on this story to Teams J.N.P.R and S.S.S.N.

“Yes. Not long after Yang was born, when I was still recovering, I saw him watching us. In his Corvid Form, I knew it as soon as I saw him. Because his Jackdaw Body is covered in scars and is greyer than the rest of us.” Raven explains to them, and the mere idea of being related by blood to this madman gives Yang the chills.

“He was always filled with rage, something at times he could never control.” Qrow explains, and hearing that does not really ease her nervousness over the idea of being related to this monster.

“Jackdaw – was always messed up, ever since he was born. Some believed he was cursed, because he was prone to violence more than any Branwen. He would always find enjoyment in breaking things, tearing things apart. First it was small things, ripping paper and leaves – then it grew into more sadistic things, like insects. Then rats…rabbits…even a puppy at one point.” Raven explains, and Ruby’s eyes widen with heartbreak, her love for life and cute animals will always be hurt whenever she hears of someone who hurts them. “Eventually that hunger grew to the same deal with people, but he found greater pleasure in tearing something else apart…can you guess?” Raven asks them all, and Nora is the one to deduce it, not Yang, who is still a bit shell-shocked from learning he is technically family to her.

“Family…”

“Precisely.” Raven sighs as she closes her eyes, and Yang finally lifts her head and speaks.

“What do you mean? What did he do to you all? Qrow always described you all as family…what changed?” Yang inquires, and Raven seems to go cold, giving a look to her brother and Taiyang. Her Ex-Husband nods his head to her and Qrow just looks at her, so she answers that rough question, looking at Ruby as well.

“Jackdaw was never pure evil, and I don’t believe he still is. The things he does are monstrous, I know that, but he has had no one around him to help ease that anger in him. There was someone once though…not someone romantically involved with him though, just a very close friend.” Raven begins to explain as her breath becomes shakier, looking at Ruby. “Your mother, Ruby – Summer Rose – was his best friend.” She reveals and Ruby gasps, her silver eyes widen. The three of them look at her with concern, since her mother’s fate has always been quite the mystery to her.

“She was his friend?” Eryka asks, since she does not know everything about the Ripper, end of the day that was all she knew. His title, not his name, and most certainly not the relationship he had with the Branwen Family.

“Best Friend. She always listened to him, could calm his rage and managed to help him do things other than kill and hurt others. She taught him how to paint, helped him with his studies. But most of all – she listened to him.” Raven explains, and Ruby smiles softly, knowing that her mother was always one of the kindest people in the entire world. “But…it wasn’t enough for Jackdaw, it was never enough…and one day…he snapped.”

“What happened?” Ren asks.

“He was sent to Beacon with us, same mission as my brother and I. Learn how to be Huntsmen, and return back to the Tribe so we could strengthen our forces against Huntsmen attacks on our raids. Jackdaw was put in a different team than us, and Summer helped teach him how to be a leader. He did a good job for a while too, his team were good to him, but Summer was always his friend. Until one day Qrow was ordered to lead his team into a battle, since Jackdaw was injured in a fight.” Raven explains, looking at her brother when a glass falls from the table and smashes next to him.

They all look at him and he sighs. “That was my mistake.” He states.

“Qrow’s semblance – is to bring Misfortune to all those around him, like a Bad Luck Charm. Mine is the opposite, where I bring Good Fortune. But Jackdaw…his is more complicated than that.” Raven explains.

“How so?” Ren asks.

“His semblance – is to have good luck until he doesn’t.” Raven reveals, and the name of it really confuses them.

“Wait, huh?” Ruby asks.

“He will always win, be unstoppable – up until he is inches away from achieving his goal, and then it will be snatched away. Every. Single. Time.” Qrow clarifies, and now they can actually see why he lost his mind, Ruby looks down at the ground as she imagines how much that would hurt.

“He can never get what he wants?” She asks.

“I’ve seen him smash through entire exams, know everything in them – until the final. And on that day, he will lose it all. I’ve seen him fight through hordes of Grimm, decimating them all, but then the artefact he needed to collect fell into fire.” Raven explains to them, and Taiyang nods his head.

“Summer and I always wanted to help him, but there was nothing we could do. No matter how hard he tries, he will always fail. Can you really blame him for losing his mind?” Taiyang asks them all, and none of them really answer that, but when looking at Qrow’s mannerisms, it is very clear that he is nowhere near as forgiving as his friend. Ruby and Yang though look at one another, and then they look at Raven, because they need to know.

“What happened…to my mother?” Ruby asks with a choked voice.

Raven looks at her and she closes her eyes sadly. “When Qrow was with Jack’s team, a Grimm attack happened, and they were slaughtered. Only Qrow came back from the hunt, and Jackdaw went berserk. He went on a killing spree and he disappeared. But when I saw him again, years after – when you were born.” Raven explains as she looks at Yang. “I ran, because I knew he did not forget. And I was right, because when Tai and Summer married and had Ruby, Summer went to see Qrow and I.”

Her breath stammers and she bites her lip. “When we found her, we saw him over her…crying…blood in his hands, and she was…she was gone.” Raven reveals, and Ruby begins to cry with anguish.

“He killed her to get to me.” Qrow tells them. “Because…” Qrow looks at Taiyang and he answers for him.

“Because your uncle loved her…but she didn’t love him. He vowed to watch over her…but none of us expected he would return. And hurt her, of all people.” Taiyang explains, and the three remaining members of Team S.T.R.Q just stand there with pain in their eyes. Time has very clearly not healed their wounds.

“He looked terrified when we found him. But it was on that day that he vowed to hunt every last Branwen down. To cleanse the world of us, and our curse. But not only that, to see if he can beat his own semblance…so then he can finally win.” Raven explains, and they all look at them.

“That’s why he’s back, isn’t it? To win?” Ruby asks.

“It seems that way.” Raven agrees, and they all look at each other after Raven finally concludes her story of Jackdaw Branwen, and what happened to Summer Rose.

“So…what do we do now?” Nora asks.

“I am here to propose an alliance. I have already spoken with my tribe and they have agreed to help me track down and kill my brother, put him down before he kills anymore innocents. We will have to break the law, do things you have never had the displeasure of doing. But we will have your back. It will not be glamorous…but we have let our brother live for too long now.” Raven explains as she stands up, whilst Taiyang remains sat.

“Dad?” Ruby and Yang say.

“I’m too old for this business, girls…I never wanted you involved in this…but now Jackdaw has made you involved.” Taiyang sighs as he wrings his hands.

“So…do we have a deal?” Raven asks as she looks at them. Nora and Ren look at Ruby and Yang, since they are basically following their lead. Yang and Ruby stand up and stare directly at Raven.

“One condition.” Yang states.

“And that is?” Raven asks.

“I want you to tell me everything. I want to know, who my mother is.” Yang states, and Raven softly smiles. “Who you are.”

“I was hoping to do that anyway.” Raven states, and the four of them nod. Eryka nods to Raven too, clearly an old friend and Qrow does the same.

“Then you have a deal.”

 

 


	9. The Branwen Tribe

**Weiss**

The Schnee Heiress softly moans as she begins to wake up, hearing the tweets of morning birds in the trees outside of their dorm room. She yawns and stretches her arms, looking up at the pressure in the bed above her where Ruby should be sleeping. She slumps out of bed and glances over at Blake, seeing her still snuggled up in her beg, peacefully resting – something she has been happy to see after Blake’s struggle to sleep due to her past with the White Fang haunting her, Adam and simply stressing herself out over everything to do with Roman Torchwick.

Still crazy for them to believe that he is dead, for so long they never thought that he would be defeated, and never in their lives did they think he would die the way they did. In a way, they wish that he didn’t die, and was imprisoned in an asylum somewhere. It was the least that they could have done for him, since in their minds very few _deserve_ to die. But Jackdaw…that is something else entirely, because he has been imprisoned multiple times now, and yet every time he breaks out and kills more people. Like some sort of plague that spreads and kills everything in its path.

As Weiss gets up she rubs her tired eyes with her closed fists, yawing yet again as she approaches the bathroom, completely unaware that Ruby and Yang are not in their beds. But at the end of the day, she is usually the first one up. Then Blake and then Yang – and then Ruby, since she always sleeps in, even four years after first arriving at Beacon in their beloved dorm room. She brushes it with all the minty paste into her teeth, whitening them bright as she spits it out into the sink, staring at her messy ice white hair. She picks up her hairbrush and starts pulling it down her strands of hair, some of it knotted up in places as she swiftly yanks it through the strands.

After beautifying herself up with makeup and cleaning her hair, she turns and walks out, finding a groaning Blake as she starts to wake up. “Morning.” Weiss greets as she gets up, scratching her cat ears, looking at the Schnee Heiress walking out of the bathroom. Blake still is not all there right now as she rolls her shoulder.

“I think…I slept funny.” She grumbles, rolling her aching shoulder, feeling her whole arm go numb in the process. Her sore skin itches as she touches her shoulder, getting up and approaching her chest of drawers to find her outfit as she walks into the bathroom after Weiss to get changed. Already changed when in there, Weiss walks in there and she sits down at the study table in the corner, checking over Myrtenaster with her cloth. She glances at the two beds where the sisters should be sleeping.

“C’mon sleepyheads.” Weiss says to them, but there is nothing, just silence. Normally they would moan and roll aside, so Weiss raises a brow at the mysterious silence. She gets up and approaches the bunkbed where Ruby would be. She jumps up and grabs onto the duvet sheets and she pulls them from where Ruby is – or where she should be. Weiss’ eyes widen and a gasp of shock leaves her mouth, staring at the bed only to find it empty with a few pillows stuffed underneath the duvet itself, the one on her pillow merely looks like it was her head, just an optical illusion. Weiss’ mind begins to race and she staggers back. “No…no, no no…NO!” Weiss screams, causing Blake to yelp, opening the door with a toothbrush still stuffed in her mouth.

“What’s wrong?” Blake slurs with toothpaste still in her mouth.

“They’re gone!” Weiss exclaims with distress in her voice, pacing back and forth. Blake turns and she spits the paste from her mouth in the sink and washes it away with the tap. She turns and returns to Weiss, looking around and she grabs onto Yang’s duvet and rips it off. Only to find her blonde haired friend is missing too. Her eyes widen as she starts to look around, noticing their bags and weapons are not here either – alongside those Black Feathers they had on the table. “They’re gone! They’re gone! They’re gone!” Weiss yells with both anger and concern in her voice as she paces back and forth, so Blake walks over to her Icy Friend and grabs her by the shoulders to still her.

“Weiss, calm down.” Blake tells her as she looks at her, her amber feline eyes reflecting off the blue irises of the Heiress. “Focus, we need to see where they went.” Blake says as she checks underneath her bed to see if they left a note behind. They keep searching for their weapons in the vain hope that this is some kind of elaborate joke on Ruby and Yang’s part. It wouldn’t be the first time they have pulled that on them, once they truly made them think they lost their weapons when they were just underneath their beds. It would not be crazy to assume they would pull something like that again. But with every location they search in their Dormitory, they cannot find any clues behind them – except for one – that leaves them troubled.

“The Black Feathers are gone too.” Weiss says to her, covering her mouth with one hand and the other behind her head as she stands with her legs shaking. “How could they do this to us? We promised we’d talk about this…” Weiss softly says with a stressed voice. Blake walks back and forth, then hear ears flick up when she hears movement outside their door. She turns and she opens the door, to see Jaune and Pyrrha doing the exact same thing now. They are looking up and down the halls outside of their dorm room, calling out their names.

“Ren!” Jaune calls out.

“Nora! Where are you?” Pyrrha too yells out, but no response, so Blake walks out and Jaune turns to see her there.

“Nora and Ren too?” Blake asks with worry in her voice, wringing her hands together as she looks at the two of them.

“Too? You mean Ruby and Yang are gone as well?” Jaune asks, and it does not take them long to deduce what is going on.

“The four of them all had those damn feathers, you saw it.” Weiss states with anger in her voice as she slams her elbow into the wall to get that anger out. Weiss has always taken it to heart when their teammates – their friends – have taken matters into their own hands instead of going to their teammates. Blake did it a long time ago, and now Ruby and Yang have done the exact same thing. “What is wrong with her? She’s our leader! She should know better.” Weiss growls, unable to find a place for her frustration with Ruby right now. They all feel so betrayed, that these friends of theirs, their family, could not trust them enough that they needed to sneak out of Beacon Academy.

“They’re following Jack the Ripper’s Trail.” Jaune states as he thinks about it, turning to look at the three others. “C’mon, it’s obvious right? They talked about it last night, they all had those feathers. Where else would they be going? They were adamant of going after him and were against us on our decision of the Consensus.” Jaune explains to them, and Weiss nods her head, pinching the bridge of her nose with stress in her bones.

“Damn it you’re right.” Weiss says.

“They’ll get themselves killed if they go after him like this.” Pyrrha states, and Blake sighs, shaking her head as she presses her hands to her head.

“You’re right.” Blake agrees as she paces back and forth, but as they go to continue the debate of their plan of what to do next, they hear the thundering footfalls of many soldiers headed in their direction. Marching up the stares at the Stockholm Troopers, rifles in hand and aiming them down the hallway at them, kicking open doors one at a time to check the amount of Graduates inside of them. They shine their lives as they enter their rooms, throwing the duvets off their bodies to make sure that they are not hiding from them.

“Nobody move!” One of the Raven Talons yells as he heads up the hallway, keeping his rifle trained on the four of them as they stand there. They hold their hands over their heads and the soldiers push them against the walls, rifles aimed at the back of their heads. “Don’t make this difficult. Where did your teammates go?” The Raven Talon commands, noticing that they are not here.

“W-We don’t know!” Weiss cries out as she feels the armoured hand grabbing her by the nape of her neck, pushing her face into the wall. But as they interrogate them with shock and fear, they turn when hearing Killian’s voice.

“Stand down.” Killian orders, and the soldier does so immediately, lowering his rifle and stepping away from the four Graduates. Killian looks at them, noticing that they are the ones that agreed with him on the idea of the Vytal Consensus, the ones that are thinking about the future opposed to the here and now.

The soldiers barge into the Dorm Rooms of Teams R.W.B.Y and J.N.P.R and they start rifling through everything that they have in there in order to locate any clues of the missing Huntresses and Huntsmen that have just gone missing. And are the suspected thieves of one of their Wasps. Killian lets them do their work, despite the worry of the two Huntresses, who look at all their possessions being pushed aside, shining lights and looking for whatever they can find. Weiss and Blake both turn back to Killian as the soldiers keep on pacing down the halls, ordering the students to stay down as they check for any sneaky traitors in the area.

“Apologies for my men, we have a strict rule when it comes down to this sort of procedure.” Killian explains with a huff.

“Assaulting students?” Weiss scoffs as she massages her jaw from getting slammed against the wall the way she did.

“They had reason to assume you were hostile. It is what we are trained for.” Killian tells her, and Blake scoffs.

“What? To be paranoid?” Blake questions.

“In a way. It has always been our duty as Black Ops to be ready for anything, although they were indeed mistaken to attack you the way you did. I could tell you were just as shocked of this revelation as I was.” Killian explains as he rubs his tired eyes. The Commander of the Black Gallows must have been up for quite a long time now, since the news of one of his ships being stolen like that is bound to keep you on your toes. “I feel due to the recent events my men have every reason to distrust people, too.” Killian explains, referencing the betrayal of the Construction Workers that night, the leader of which he killed with the sample of Grave Dust he acquired from one of Jackdaw’s blades.

Killian looks at Pyrrha and Jaune behind him, seeing their rightfully judgemental glares on their faces towards Killian. The Commander sighs as he massages his brow and he walks into their dorm room, looking at the beds that the soldiers are tearing into in order to find any clues they can. “Why are you ripping up their mattresses?” Jaune questions with disgust.

“You would be surprised how many suspects hide things of interest to us in their mattresses, son. One time we found a gun in there.” Killian chuckles as he picks up a chair and he sits down in the hallway with them. The others crouch down into a sitting position on the floor as Killian speaks with them, since he needs as much information as he can muster.

“They left us, didn’t they?” Pyrrha sadly asks as she wraps her legs around her bent knees.

“It certainly looks that way. I guess we should have expected it, but I never expected them to lie to any of you. Thought all of you were a tightly knit bunch.” Killian presumes as he taps his finger against his knee.

“We’ve always had each other’s back…” Jaune sighs, then Blake – the one who was in between in the discussion – stares at Killian with judging eyes.

“Y’know, if you hadn’t have pushed this damn Consensus none of this would have happened.” Blake reminds, and Killian crosses his arms.

“And then what? You would have another rebellion on your hands, of people against the Academies.” Killian states, still adamantly standing by his decisions, in which makes Jaune scoff as he stares at him.

“How the hell are you still in office after what you did?” Jaune questions, then Killian just stares straight into his eyes.

“Careful son – I’m being nice to you right now. Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” He states, and his words really send shivers down his spine. Because he never gave him a definitive answer to his question. After everything he did, he should have been punished. Even though he managed to cover up his atrocities from the public, it is almost certain that the Government know what he did that night. What he did to Jaymes, how he was the man behind the Black Smog attack four years ago.

And yet…here he is…like nothing has changed.

_Did he…kill anyone who stood against him?_

Jaune thinks this questions in his mind, but he is too afraid to ask the man, since he is a Black Operatives Commander, meaning he is more than willing to kill to get the job done and prevent any further panic from occurring. “Now, enough of this pointless banter.” Killian states as he leans forward and crosses his arms, glaring at the Graduates. “Where are they?” He grills.

“We don’t know.” Weiss answers.

“Really? You don’t have a clue?” Killian scoffs, finding that hard to believe due to how much Ruby, Yang and Nora talk. “Qrow Branwen and Eryka Vasillias have disappeared as well, that cannot be merely coincidence.”

Weiss’ eyes widen when she hears that her sister’s girlfriend has potentially abandoned them on this hunt for Jack the Ripper as well. “Eryka…but what about Winter?” She softly asks, and Killian nods his head.

“She is still here, and has only recently found out about her deceit. To say she is angry right now is an understatement.” Killian chuckles as he crosses his arms, leaning back against his chair. “Well, if you don’t know, then tell me everything you know. Did they say anything in; particular to you? Anything at all?” Killian asks them, oddly enough not using any threats to get what he wants.

They look at each other, and Killian sighs, scratching the back of his neck. “Look, I just want to know where they have gone so then we can get them back. The Ripper is not a foe you want them getting into contact with.” Killian assures, and considering everything that has happened to them so far, seeing the amount of lives he has taken with such ease, that is most certainly the truth.

A truth that terrifies them.

So despite how much they want to protect their friends from Nathaniel Killian, they have been left no other choice but to follow his rules. “I…I think they went to speak with Raven Branwen…Yang’s real mom.” Weiss reveals to him, and Killian raises a brow.

“Raven Branwen? She is the leader of the Branwen Tribe, why the hell would…” Then he stops speaking, realising the truth in the back of his mind. But he does not reveal it to them, the truth about what Jack the Ripper is to the Branwens, to Yang in particular. Because all of a sudden it now makes a whole lot more sense.

_They want to know about Summer…it was her death by his hand that tore Team S.T.R.Q apart…Ruby and Yang…it makes sense._

He pushes his hands against his knees as he gets up. “Thank you for your cooperation.” He snaps his fingers to the soldiers. “Clean up their rooms, exactly as they were before you smashed them up. Get them new mattresses too. We have our target.” Killian orders, another order they never expected from the Commander.

“Wait…you’re having your men do that? Why?” Pyrrha asks as she gets up, and he turns.

“I know I am an asshole, I’d never lie about that. But I’m hardly unreasonable.” Killian states, which makes Blake scoff as she crosses her arms.

“Yeah, I find that hard to believe.” She states.

Killian stares right at her, and his words burn deep. “Didn’t you once misjudge someone?” He asks her, and her eyes widen, her ears jolt when she hears him say that. Because they all know exactly who he was speaking about just then.

Adam Taurus.

Killian turns away from them and he gestures to his other men, having them follow him down the hallway back to their operations centre outside. Leaving the remaining members of Teams R.W.B.Y and J.N.P.R behind.

 

**Ruby**

This was not something they ever foresaw, especially not Yang.

Her blood and the Ripper’s…he is her uncle by blood. The two of them are sat down outside the house, on the front step with their hands on their lap. Ruby glances across the front garden to see Ren and Nora walking around as they talk, whilst Taiyang, Raven and Qrow are still inside talking about what happened. Poor Taiyang knows very little, and Qrow saw it all, so this has been quite the day for everyone involved. Ruby looks at her sister, able to see the strife in her eyes as she ponders over this new information.

“Yang? Are you…okay?” Ruby timidly asks her older sister with concern in her voice as she looks at her. Yang looks at Ruby and she blows out a heavy breath, pressing her metal hand against the side of her head.

“I…I don’t know how I feel right now, Ruby. I just found out that this monster is my frigging uncle, that same man killed the woman who raised us, and on top of all that – he killed Glynda, Ironwood, Yatsu and a bunch of others.” Yang explains as she pushes her hands through her blonde hair and groans, squishing her face up, which makes Ruby giggle. She looks at her sister with her cheeks still squished together, and she looks at her – seeing her smile has always been a way to take her mind off things.

So with her face all squished together, she puts on a silly voice to keep her that way. “Hewwo, mah name’s chubbeh!” Yang slurs, making her giggle again, and Yang smiles as she sits there. But in the back of her mind she still keeps thinking about what has given her so many conflicting thoughts, all of them surrounding Jackdaw Branwen. What else has he done? How far will he go to get what he wants? Can he actually beat his own semblance, and if he does – will he be unbeatable?

It seems the Branwen Siblings are bound by a Fate-Based Semblance.

Luck.

Ruby calms her giggling down and she sits there, unable to keep Yang’s mind off the subject of Jackdaw, even though that is just what is on her mind too. He was the one that took her mother from her, the mission that she never came back from – that must have been the one where it happened. “I always wondered why Uncle Qrow drank so much, I guess now it makes more sense.” Ruby states, and Yang softly scoffs with the nod of her head.

“Mhm…guess having a psychotic older brother who killed someone you loved would do that to you.” Yang states, which makes Ruby look back at her Uncle through the crack in the door, seeing him sat there with that sad look back in his eyes. She never really understood why, she just assumed it was because they were friends.

“He loved her…I didn’t…even realise.” She softly says, and Yang chuckles.

“I kinda had a feeling something like that was going on, honestly.” Yang admits, and Ruby raises a brow.

“Huh? Whaddya mean?” She asks her.

“Think about it? He’s always been closer with you than he has with me.” Yang says as she fiddles with her boot. The idea of that upsets Ruby, because she would never want to be the favourite child.

“No, Yang…he loves us both.” Ruby reminds and she nods her head with a sad sigh.

“I know…but some days it didn’t feel that way. At first I thought it was because I was a bit of a trouble maker as a baby, but maybe – maybe something did rub off on him when it came to you.” Yang explains, looking at her little sister. The idea of this makes Ruby look down at the floor sadly, but she feels Yang’s arm go around her. “I’m glad though.”

“Huh?” Ruby asks.

“I’d have hated it if we were copies of each other. It’s what makes us special.” She says with a smile, and Ruby smiles back.

“Yeah…although we still have a lot in common.” She says to Yang with a smile.

“Of course we do, hell where do we start?” Yang wonders, since despite their differences they still have plenty of things that connect them together. Then Ruby grins adorably – yet deviously – at Yang.

“Well…for starters…” Ruby begins, when she suddenly taps Yang. “I’m better!” She squeaks as she gets up and runs away, and Yang reaches out to tag her back.

“Hey! Get back here!” She calls back, which causes the three adults inside the house to turn. Raven walks towards the window as she watches her daughter and her best friend’s daughter chasing each other around in the field. She holds her forearm and smiles softly at them, for despite the dark and scary truth they have just burdened the girls with, they are still acting like the close sisters they have always been.

Taiyang walks over to Raven and he leans against the wall with his arms crossed. “Thank you.” He says to her, and she turns.

“For what?” Raven asks.

“For coming to me…for when you told them.” He says to her, and she closes her eyes with a sigh.

“I had hoped you wouldn’t be involved.” Raven states.

“It’s okay, Raven. I wanted to be here when you told them about what happened to Summer, Ruby had the right to know.” Taiyang explains, and Raven’s breath turns shaky as she sees Yang catch Ruby, tickling her as she giggles.

“How did you do it?” Raven asks softly, and he looks at her with curiosity.

“Do what?” Taiyang asks her, Raven watches intently as her daughter hugs her sister lovingly, kissing the top of her head as she watches.

“Raise them…to be so…kind?” She asks her, and Qrow lowers his head with sadness, since he knows what she is talking about, and so does Taiyang. His answer to that is not what she was expecting.

“I thought to myself…what would Raven do?” He reveals, her red eyes widen and she turns with shock in those irises.

“What?” She questions.

“Like it or not…when you were pregnant with Yang, she was all you thought about. All you talked about. You always said you wanted to prove you were better than your parents were, to raise them with love, and not as weapons for a Bandit Tribe.” Taiyang explains, and Qrow nods his head with a chuckle.

“We all saw it sis.” Qrow tells her, and she sighs, looking out the window again at the two girls.

“And here I am…a failed mother…just like ours.” She says.

“You’re here.” Taiyang reminds and she looks back. “You may not have been able to raise her like Summer and I did…for the time we had together…but you always looked over her.”

“Like that should be enough. Yang hates me, Tai…I left because I didn’t want Jackdaw bearing down on your heads any longer than he already was. Part of me really thought it could be forgiven…but she was a baby…and I left her, alone and confused. And bitter.” She says those words, harsh words about herself, and Taiyang leans against the wall beside her, looking at their daughter as she laughs with her sister.

“Does she look bitter to you?” Taiyang asks her, and she looks at her daughter again, seeing the joy with her sister. “She’s bitter simply because she doesn’t know you. Give her time, she’ll come around.”

“I don’t know if I deserve it, Tai.” Raven states.

“You’ll never know if you don’t try.” Taiyang says, and she sighs, lowering his head with a soft chuckle.

“I just hope I am worth her time.” Raven states, her hand shaking with worry of being with her daughter…twenty one years later. “It’s not gonna be an easy journey, Jackdaw will be waiting.”

“That’s what the Bandit Tribe is for. He won’t get away this time.” Taiyang assures, and Raven smiles softly to her Former Husband. He gently touches her shoulder, and she goes to kiss his lips, but he holds her back and lowers his head. It stings, but at the same time she can understand. Even if she had noble intentions behind leaving him, it still hurt a lot when she just abandoned him with a new-born daughter. “I’m sorry…but I can’t.” He says to her, she nods her head and blows out another shaky breath.

“I-I know…” She responds, looking at her brother who nods as he walks towards the cracked door and pushes it open.

“Good luck, Tai…” He says to him, and Taiyang nods.

“And to you, Qrow.” He says,

Qrow walks out and leaves the two of them there, and Raven gently steps over to him and she just softly kisses his cheek. It is clear that she still feels love for him, but at the same time does not believe she does not deserve his love in return. “Goodbye.” She says to him, but he holds her hand to stop her for a moment.

“Don’t say goodbye…” He says, and he sighs. “I hate goodbyes.” He tells her, and Raven sighs and nods her head.

“Me too.” She says, walking through the open door, but it does not close behind her. Taiyang walks to the doorframe and looks at his daughters with a smile.

“I’m better!” Yang giggles with her sister, showing how they are both equally as competitive as one another.

“No I am!” She giggles in return, but then they stop when Raven approaches and Yang stares at her mother and Uncle as the two of them approach. They roll away from each other and they get back up, sloppily. Yang wipes the freshly cut grass from her sister’s head and she sneezes from her hay fever. They both stand before Raven Branwen as she approaches them, and Yang stares right at her mother whilst Ren and Nora walk over. Raven looks past them to see Eryka sat on a nearby fence post, gently pruning the feathers of her beloved Eagle on her arm.

“Eryka.” Raven calls, and she turns with Dulcis. She holds her arm to her shoulder and he jumps onto her. She kicks her bow into her hand and walks over to the leader of the Bandit Tribe.

“So? What’s next?” Yang asks as she looks around, so Raven turns and she unsheathes her red Odachi and swings it behind her, opening a red portal before them all. Yang gasps when she sees it. “Whoa…”

“Not my semblance, as you know – but this blade is useful in that regard. It was my mother’s, and it was her semblance to open portals. She bound her blood to the sword so then I could use it.” Raven explains before sheathing the blade back into her scabbard of many other blades. Ruby – a total weapons geek – stares at the scabbard and her silver eyes bulge from their sockets in awe.

“That’s…so…cool…” Ruby softly whispers as she stares at it, before standing tall once more and sorting herself out. She looks at Raven and her Uncle as Eryka approaches with her grumbling Eagle looking around constantly.

“This is it, once we go through this portal, there is no turning back. You will be with my Tribe until we stop and kill our brother. After that, you are free to do what you wish.” Raven explains, and Ren chuckles, scratching the back of his neck.

“Working with bandits…” He softly grunts, which causes Raven to look at him. “…not sure if I’m comfortable about that. But Ruby and Yang deserve to know the truth, so I’ll make do.”  Ren states, and Nora smiles as she holds his hand gently. Eryka nods her head as she tickles Dulcis’ belly.

“Been a while since I’ve seen everyone.” Qrow says.

“Well, since Val is back – things are definitely serious.” She says, and Ruby looks at her father before she nods her head, but first she runs past Raven and Qrow and goes straight into the loving arms of her father. She hugs him so tight, and Yang does the same. He holds his two daughters and kisses the top of their heads as he holds them close.

“Love you, dad.” She softly says to her father, and he chuckles.

“I love you too.” He promises, and then she looks at Raven.

“I will keep them safe. You have my word.” Raven promises, and he blows out a breath, letting his daughters go. They both walk over to Ren and Nora as they approach the portal. Raven looks back and she smiles at Taiyang, before she walks into the portal. Qrow and Eryka follow, leaving the four behind. They look at each other and Ruby and Yang sigh, walking in first.

As they exit the other side, there is a brisk cold air that surrounds them. Much colder than what they have been used to, and in the distance they can see the Anima Mountains. They are no longer in the warm comforts of Vale, they are now in the mountainous climates of Mistral. Nora and Ren emerge behind them, and they seem more welcome to this climate than Ruby and Yang, but that is because they were born in this land. Anima – a land of many small towns and cities, many of which have been reduced to skeletons due to Grimm attacks.

Like Kuroyuri.

The portal has taken the seven of them to the front gates of the Branwen Bandit Camp, huge wooden logs built up around the perimeter, and multiple tree stumps nearby from where they cut down the trees for usage of their wood. Alongside animal skulls adorned on the front gate. Raven approaches as she closes the portal behind them, and Qrow looks around with a chuckle. “Man…been a while since I saw this door.” Qrow says, crossing his arms and looking upon it.

“Things have changed, little brother.” She says to her twin, only being born a few minutes before he was. Raven approaches the door and she taps her foot. “Open up. We have guests.” Raven calls to the Bandit Guards, and then the doors open up. Massive and grinding across the ground, sending clouds of dust floating away from where they moved. Never before have the four Graduates felt so small, because they are further from home than ever and without the other halves of their teams.

They enter and they look around at the many tents, quite large too, with torches set up that are aflame due to the night sky that stretches over their heads right now. Since it was morning for Vale, over here it is still the middle of the night. There are more skulls on tables and tents too, from Deer to even cast Grimm Skulls. Not real obviously, since the Grimm completely disintegrate when they are killed. But even still, these fake skulls still sell quite well in the Black Market, perhaps simply because they look genuine.

Bandits watch the newcomers as they enter, all of them wearing a similar yet unique attire to one another. Some of them have skull helmets whereas others wear no helmets whatsoever. All of them have clothes fashioned from whatever they can find, pelt and fabrics, others are stolen gear from Huntsmen and Huntresses. All of them have the Raven Tattoo on their arms and bodies. A woman has one across her back, with swords replacing the feathers and having glowing red eyes. There are some alluring individuals here, but with all the bruises, dirt and cuts on their faces from constant fights, that quickly extinguishes that attractiveness.

They all have different weapons too, some with firearms like rifles, pistols and shotguns whilst others have simple machetes, axes, hammers and swords. But then there are the few that have Huntress or Huntsman level weapons. For example, the woman who approaches them has something that looks like it came directly from Haven.

The Bandit is a young woman with tan-coloured skin, short brown hair and icy blue eyes. She has a tattoo of a bird rising from flowers on her left arm. She wears a brown vest over a torn white shirt, with a collar that appears to spike up behind her neck. She wears maroon-coloured pants with the right side rolled up to her thigh. She also wears dark brown knee guards that go down to her brown boots.

“Vernal.” Raven greets as she approaches, her weapons holstered on her legs. The weapons are two crescent shaped blades, each with a ring-shaped centre. The large outer blades have hooked points that point back toward the grip. They have four smaller blades located in pairs above and below the grip, which is wrapped in red cloth and curved to form part of the middle ring. The large outer blades are capable of collapsing toward the grip.

Atop the ring and below the upper blades is a pair of rectangular gun barrels. Within the main ring is a smaller, thinner ring connected by a pin to the forward facing portion of the weapons, acting as a trigger for the barrels. Ruby can tell from all the way over here what forms of dust they can use due to the colour of the glow within the barrels. Wind and Fire, fittingly named Firestorm.

“Good to see you back, boss. See you got us some help.” Vernal says as she looks at the four Huntresses and the two Huntsmen that are here.

Raven points to her brother. “That’s Qrow.” She introduces – rather bluntly too – and Vernal’s eyes widen.

“Oh…damn…didn’t think it was getting _this_ serious.” Vernal says, and Raven scoffs.

“Trust me, it gets better.” Raven says, stepping aside and Vernal does not even need her to say it when she sees Yang standing behind her.

“Is that…your daughter?” Vernal asks her as she stares at her, seeing the striking resemblances between them. “Man…like a damn clone.”

“Hardly.” Yang scoffs, and Vernal pulls her collar.

“Yeesh.” Vernal chuckles awkwardly. “Take it things are tense between you two?” Vernal assumes, and Raven looks at her daughter.

“Seems it’s in our blood to be…stubborn.” Raven says as she looks at her daughter and her brother, which makes Qrow chuckle.

“To put it mildly.” Qrow agrees, so Vernal turns her gaze to Eryka who holds Dulcis on her arm still.

“Well…been a while, Eryka.” Vernal greets, which causes pretty much everyone bar Raven to turn and stare straight at Eryka due to this revelation. Eryka huffs and bites her lip with annoyance at Vernal. “Oh, crud – you didn’t tell them did you?”

“Nope.”

“Whoops.”

“You ran with these guys?” Nora questions, and she nods her head.

“A long time ago…back during my Bare Knuckled Boxing days. I won money for the tribe…those were…different times.” Eryka says, sounding like it is not really something he tends to talk that much about nowadays. Ruby looks at Eryka and then stares at her neck, seeing the small ravens tattooed there, the same ones that Winter asked her about. Clearly this is something she really does not like to talk about. Vernal continues to look at them and sets her eyes on Ruby, Ren and Nora.

“Aaand…you three…I don’t know you.” Vernal finally gives up trying to guess and flat out just asks them. “Who are you guys then?”

“Ruby Rose.”

“Nora Valkyrie.”

“Lie Ren.”

Their greetings normally would be quite exuberant and excited, but here they do not show these criminals and thieves that kind of respect. End of the day, these are the kinds of people that they have sworn to defend innocents from. And Vernal is not blind, she can completely see why they feel that way. “I understand why you don’t hold us high when it comes to your greetings.”

“Yeah, you’re bandits.” Ruby points out, and she nods her head.

“We are, but we do not pillage villages. We fight against the other bandits, the more disorganised ones. It is how Raven has commanded us to lead our raids. Trust me, there are far more dangerous people out there than us.” Vernal exclaims, until she hears a slurred scoff from behind them. They all turn to see a man standing there with a bottle of booze in his hand, chugging it down, stumbling towards them with a burp. With a triangular shaped jaw and a dirty blonde coloured mullet he approaches, scratching his stubble. He wipes the dust from his grey leather overcoat above his red loosely worn shirt underneath with a brown bandanna hanging from beneath his mouth.

He has a few scars on his face and a black eye at the moment, clearly from getting into fights with some of his fellow tribesmen. “Well, well…Raven said she’d be bringing company…but I never expected them to be so…fine…” The man slurs as he stares directly at Yang, and she rolls her eyes as she looks away from him. Raven gives him a hard stare, and is just about to punch him in the face for how he is speaking to her daughter.

“Shay, back down.” Vernal snarls at him as he approaches, stumbling and barging into a tool box, knocking it off the crate with a metallic bang.

“Whoops…” He grumbles as he stares at the tools, looking around as he keeps that bottle in his grasp. “So…how about it? Why don’t we let Raven…do all the boring stuff…and come hang out in my tent?”

“I’m find, thanks pal.” Yang tells him, and Raven looks at her daughter, noticing her cybernetic hand is clenched into a fist. She knows better than to hover over Yang like that, so she stands back, and lets her deliver the punch she is so ready to do. Because Shay is not about to stop.

“Oh, come on, don’t be hard to get sweetie. You’re beautiful…not too bulky, not too lean…you’re just…”

“Just right.” Yang finishes before he can even do so, giving him one last chance. “As I said pal, I’m _good_.” Yang tells him.

He slurs as he stares at her, reaching out towards her hair. “And your hair…”

Suddenly she grabs his forearm and holds him there, and his eyes widen, she stares at him and her eyes turn red. Her metal fist collides directly into his jaw and sends him crashing down to the ground with a heavy thud. He crashes down into the dust with a groan, almost knocked out instantly from that punch. Yang stares down at him and walks over his groaning body. Raven laughs at that one though, walking over one of her men like he is trash as she follows Yang. “I’m glad you did that, never gets old to knock that piece of trash into the dust.” Raven chuckles as she walks beside her daughter.

“Honourable huh?” Yang questions.

“Yeah, surprised you’ve kept him around, Raven. When I was here that kid was always a bit of a loose cannon.” Qrow says to his sister, she nods her head.

“Yeah…but he has his uses. Good for scaring people, he has his sources in some of the dirtier areas in certain Kingdoms. Plus he’s pretty good in a scrap. Other than that though, he’s a bit of an asshole.” Raven tells them, and Ren looks around at the Bandits fighting each other with bare knuckles in their rings they made out of fencing.

“That brings back memories.” Eryka sighs as she looks at the ring of fighters. Ren looks at her and then at the gloves on her hands. He does not ask, but if she did take part in that kind of fighting then she must have her fair share of scares on her fists.

They continue to walk towards Raven’s large tent, but as they walk closer, all four of them freeze, even Qrow does. The five of them stare ahead with disbelief as they see her carrying some logs and setting them down in one of the crates they have. She dusts off her hands and turns, staring straight at them. Her single amber eye meets theirs and her mouth parts slightly with a similar level of disbelief. Also carrying the Raven Tattoo on her arm like Vernal, her hair is shorter than before with a few new earrings too. She wears a crop top and a dark brown leather jacket too over it, along with some shorts and a pair of military class boots.

Ruby’s silver eyes meet hers, and she scoffs.

“Well hell.” Cinder says as she stares at the girl who burned away her eye. She now wears an eyepatch that covers the scars, and Ruby clenches her hands into tight fists, an anger building in her. In all of them when they see the new Fall Maiden.

“You…” Ruby growls with anger.

“Ruby…wait…” Qrow reaches out but it is too late, her mind has been made up as she draws Crescent Rose and fires it behind her, riding the recoil towards Cinder.

“PENNY’S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!” Ruby shrieks with rage, slamming straight into Cinder and they both take off into the sky. Yang, Ren and Nora charge after her and Qrow tries to stop them.

“Crap!” Raven exclaims.

“You’ve got Cinder in you’re crew? And you thought they’d work together?” Qrow yells at her with disbelief, completely unaware that she has become part of the tribe after the Battle of Beacon.

“Damn it, I forgot alright?” Raven yells back, chasing after them.

Ruby and the Fall Maiden soar through the sky, Crescent Rose slashing across the Fall Maiden’s aura as she blocks her strikes with great speed. Cinder opens her palm and her clothing flashes as the dust forms a large Obsidian Battleaxe and she swings it round and collides it directly into Crescent Rose. She scrapes the weapon across hers and twists round her, punching Ruby in the face and slashing the axe against her red aura. Cinder, now above Ruby, kicks downwards and sends Ruby crashing down towards the ground. Now in a forest nearby, Ruby slams the curved blade of Crescent Rose into one of the trees to slow herself down, splitting the large tree in half before she kicks herself off it. Cinder dives down like a meteor, flames surrounding her body as she collides directly into Ruby and smashes her head into the dirt, dragging her across the soil.

Cinder lets out a hollering battle cry, swinging round and throwing Ruby into another tree. Cinder tightens her grip on her axe and she swings round with a yell, igniting the fire around the axe head as she throws it. It spins as it shoots towards her, smoke trailing behind it alongside multiple embers. It crashes through the trees at her and she gasps, spinning Crescent Rose to block the incoming attack. She gets thrown back once more, and the axe spins round, returning back to Cinder’s hand. The Fall Maiden rushes Ruby again, overpowering her with the sheer force of being the Fall Maiden. She grabs Ruby and lifts her off the floor by the throat.

“Well isn’t this fortuitous? I was hoping I could pay you back for my eye.” Cinder snarls as she ignites a ball of fire in her hand and pushes it towards her face to burn her eye off. Ruby screams with fear as the flame gets closer and closer.

“Penny died because of you!” Ruby yells.

“I don’t even know who you’re talking about!” Cinder yells back, when suddenly there is another roar. The sky darkens for a moment as pink lightning crashes down, and Nora suddenly blasts straight into Cinder. She swings Stormur Skeggox round and clashes it directly into Cinder’s axe. They lock blades, and Nora stares directly into Cinder’s burning amber eye, teeth gritted together as thunder claps above her head, pink electrified forks crashing and burning the soil around them.

“You tried to kill my friend…I’m gonna do more than try with you.” Nora snarls with anger in her voice, but then Cinder blasts a gust of wind into Nora, pushing her back. She slides across the ground, and Cinder opens her other palm, forming a second axe. She blasts towards Nora and spins through the air, swinging both of her Volcanic Axes with great force. Nora blocks the strikes with hers, harnessing the power of her semblance that has enhanced itself after the Fall of the Black Smog. The Goddess of Thunder channels the power of lightning through her axe and blasts it straight into Cinder in a beam of pink light. The impact pushes her back and she grits her teeth with anger as it burns against her powerful aura, but Cinder has gifts of her own. She holds her hands out as she destroys her axes with a powerful pulse. The shards of obsidian fall but then they float around her, freezing the magma inside solid with ice.

She launches the shards towards Nora and she gasps, getting hit by them so hard that it knocks her back. Cinder forges her axes once again, thrusting towards Ruby and slamming her axe down at where her head was. She swings the second again at where Ruby just pushed herself away, hammering the ground over and over again, strike after strike, setting the grass on fire constantly. Ruby pushes her feet against the floor and thrusts upwards, sending both boots into the Fall Maiden’s face. She grunts in pain from the shock of the attack, stumbling back, only for Ruby to blast through red petals at her again. She hooks Crescent Rose to her neck and drags her across the ground. Cinder grits her teeth, slamming her axe into the dirt to slow herself, hooking onto a subterranean rock. The sudden stop stumbles Ruby, and Cinder throws her Axe straight at Ruby, spinning sideways to behead her.

Ruby dashes away in petals and it circles around where she was, slamming back into Cinder’s hand. She looks around for her, growling with fury in her heart. “I’ve been waiting for this, Ruby! Look at what you did to me!” Cinder yells, ripping the eyepatch from her face to show the nasty burn scars on her face, that have deformed her eye to the point of no return. She has also shaven the second of her black hair that was burned. A small section around her malformed ear. “You’re gonna pay for this!”

“Not before you pay for what you did to Pyrrha! You hurt my friend!” Nora yells, remembering how Cinder put a hole through Pyrrha’s heel and nearly killed her at the same time. She erupts through the trees and holds her axe above her head with anger, channelling the explosive power of a grenade launcher in the form of pink lightning. She slams it down right at Cinder, the pink explosion throws her back and she throws the axe towards her. The thrusters built into the back of the axe blast and causes it to spin through the air, slashing up Cinder’s aura with every single hit made, before it returns back to her. Nora has a glove on her swinging hand, that has some small magnets built into it that she can use to call the axe back to her after she has thrown it.

One of the many new upgrades she has acquired since she started using a smaller weapon – that she actually prefers using now, due to how fast she can make her attacks now. Cinder staggers from Nora’s attack and grits her teeth, forming ice across her hand and she slams her fist down into the ground, blasting massive shards of ice up through the ground. Nora yelps as she gets hit by one, so hard it throws her back. Cinder turns and her eye widens, seeing Ren and Yang also charging forward. Yang catches Ren and she swings round, throwing him towards Cinder. He tackles her and slams his knee down into her face. “Judgement was going to find you eventually, Cinder.” Ren growls, showing an emotion he usually hides.

Anger.

Cinder punches Ren in the side with a growl. “Get! Off!” She yells, as she gets back up she takes her axe and slams it into Ren’s side with both hands. The attack blasts him through the trees and she lets out a yell of fury as the fire erupts from her eyes. She turns and faces Yang next, her eyes flushed with red but not using her semblance yet. Yang swings her fists at Cinder with speed and hate, hitting Cinder in the face on a few occasions, causing her to stagger back from each strike. Yang ducks down under the swing from Cinder and she blasts Ember Celica aside when she takes her axe and slams it downwards towards her head. The axe lodges into the ground, setting more grass on fire. Yang slides across the ground and blasts above Cinder, diving down to punch her in the side of the head, firing the shotgun at the same time. But as she does it, Cinder staggers and manages to swing round and slam her axe into Yang. The hit knocks her to the floor with a grunt, so Cinder grabs her by the leg and swings round, throwing her straight into Nora who was going for another attack with Stormur Skeggox.

The two of them crumble down to the ground, and Cinder rises up into the air and the sky darkens once more, rain starts to fall onto their heads as they fight her. She holds her hands out and blasts bolts of lightning down towards them, one of them explodes right next to Ruby, throwing her onto the floor from the buzzing shockwave. But Nora gets up and she smirks, staring up at the sky as the lightning crackles above her. The bolt crashes down onto her, and her aura glows bright pink. “YeeeeeaaaaAAAAHHHHHH!” Nora screams, and Cinder’s eye widens with disbelief and a bit of fear as the glowing pink ball of energy shoots up towards her.

Nora swings her fist into Cinder’s face, so hard that it blows the rain from the sky, and the explosive punch blasts Cinder down into the forest below. She tumbles into the mud and growls, looking ahead to see Ruby and Ren blasting towards her. Ren kicks Cinder across the face and fires both Stormflower pistols repeatedly at her aura, but she eventually manages to spin her axe through her fingers to deflect the incoming bullets from his guns. Ruby spirals Crescent Rose at her foe, slashing at her but Cinder keeps backing up, holding her axe and blocking each incoming scythe strike. She swings forward and locks the blade of her axe into Ruby’s scythe. Ruby cannot break free, then Cinder opens her other palm and forms her second axe, and she jumps and spins, twisting round and slashing both of her axes across Ruby’s aura. The attack knocks the young woman down into the ground and she pins her down with her boot, holding the nineteen year old on the ground.

“Even after all these years, you still never think about what you’re fighting do you?” She scoffs.

“I beat you didn’t I?” Ruby yells.

“Surprise attacked me, you hardly beat me.” Cinder states, as she goes to slam her axe down into Ruby’s head, only for Ren to jump onto her chest, wrapping his legs around her neck in a scissor hold. He slams his body downwards and throws Cinder straight into the swinging fist of Yang. The punch cracks into her face, knocking her down, and Cinder slides, touching her throbbing cheek. Yang managed to actually open a wound there, only for her powerful aura to repair the damage. “Not bad, blondie.” She chuckles.

Cinder suddenly slams her fist into the ground and sends multiple rocks up into the air, using the element of fire to melt them down, and then ice as they form into spikes. Then with wind, she launches them towards them, all of them hit the four Hunters, throwing them back. Except for Nora who burns them to dust with her axe’s beam, but Ruby suddenly blasts up and she and Cinder shoot towards Raven’s camp once more. They both crash into the camp once more, tumbling right into the centre with dust and dirt stuck to their bodies. The chunks of wood fall and they crush down onto one of the tents.

Cinder growls as she pushes her hands against the dirt, and Ruby gets up, about to attack again. He blasts forward until a hammer slams straight into her face, so hard it throws her back. She groans as she lays there on the ground, looking across the path to see what hit her. A hammer like head attached to a chain gets dragged back into the handle of the weapon’s user, and he stares at her with hazel coloured eyes. He wears the same leather overalls like the rest of the Bandits, standing beside Cinder. “Leave her alone.” He growls, helping her up, only for Cinder to shove him back.

“Get off me, Oscar! This is between me and them!” Cinder snarls, but then Vernal stands beside her with her guns aimed at the two of them.

“Well this went to hell in a basket real fast, didn’t it?” Vernal sighs as she keeps her guns trained on Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren. “Put your weapons down and let’s talk this through like adults!” Vernal yells, and Raven and Crow return, erupting out from their Corvid Forms.

“Enough!” Raven yells as she stands in the middle of the confrontation. “If we keep this up this camp will be swarming with Grimm! And that’s the last thing we need now that the wall has been breached thanks to this little scuffle of yours.” Raven growls.

“She caused the Battle of Beacon! So many died thanks to her! Penny died!” Nora yells as she holds Stormur Skeggox in her fist, crackling with pink lightning, and Cinder grits her teeth together as she stares at them.

“Oh…I’m starting to remember her…the robot girl.” Cinder coos as she starts to get back up, pushing her hand against her knee. “Y’know, I’d like to remind you I didn’t kill her. Hell I nearly avenged her that night if not for your silver eyed friend here.” She says, pointing her obsidian axe at her.

Ren grits his teeth and he goes to attack her, only for Qrow to stop him, holding him back from attacking. “She is our friend! Do you know how much pain you put her through?”

“How about me? Look at what that silver eyed bitch did to me!” Cinder yells, pointing at the burns on her face, pulling her patch from her pocket.

“Oh yeah? Wanna go for round two? Let’s go!” Ruby yells, her silver eyes actually flicker for a moment there as well, and Cinder snarls with anger.

“Stop it! Now!” Raven yells.

But then…in the middle of their argument, Eryka hears it first and it scares her.

The whispers…

Hundreds of them, so sharp they are like daggers stabbing into her brain. “Valravn! Valravn! Valravn! Valraaaaavn!”

They all begin to press their hands to their heads, only Raven and Qrow are able to withstand it and the other Bandits watch in awe as he emerges from the tent behind Ruby and Yang. Emerging from the tent, is Valravn Branwen – the oldest remaining Branwen left on the planet, the Uncle to the Branwen Siblings. He towers above them, an intimidating white and red marked mask like Raven’s, but more in the shape of a Raven Skull with herbs smoking from within. He holds a large Sceptre with Corvid Feathers and windchimes attacked to it that clink as he emerges, his voice burning into their ears.

“What’s this?! Hunger for blood?! I taste the copper in the air, within the walls of this camp?”

“Back in your tent, Val.” Raven steps in his way, but he shoves through with his chiming staff.

“Head of gold? Ah yes… blood of the raven.” He stares at Yang, venting the herbal smokes through his mask. “Mothers rage… fathers heart. All stitched together, through misplaced marriage and unity. At least she learnt her place is not in wedlock.”

Raven frowns, staring at her Val with daggers in her eyes. He turns to the others, speaking through more riddles as always.

“My ravens tell your story. Copper head and lotus. They watched, black birds in the smoke, as the monster levelled your lands. Monsters that which fell from the skies.”

Nora and Ren shrink under his faceless stare, Kuroyuri mingling in their minds. He is unlike anything they have ever seen, they have met terrifying monsters – but there is something quite unnerving about him. Is it the massive coat forged from the feathers of birds? Is it the long stilt legs he walks upon? Or the fact they cannot even see his face?

His masked face turns, staring directly at Ruby Rose.

“And you… Summer’s little petal.”

“Hey! Leave Ruby alone.” Yang steps in front of him. He scoffs, nudging her back with a prod of his wind chime staff.

“Ah the shining light in the sky, that shrouds it’s darkness from within… “ He walks around her. “… I wonder, what will we find when we cast your shade upon your light. What secrets will we find? What mistakes?”

Yang looks at Raven. “Our mistake was coming here! You never told me you were part of some sort of cult! That you were harbouring the very person who nearly levelled Beacon! Who killed Penny, who nearly killed Pyrrha!” Yang yells with anger and disgust, she wanted to know more about who her mother is but she never expected to find anything quite like this.

“A cult is a band of misguided fools that follow a liar. We follow the truth, it carries on the wind, like the ravens that tell of your stories.” Valravn snaps from behind the four. “What truth? In your tales? That you were naïve in trusting people welcomed into a tournament, with the sole intent of causing harm, for a spectators pleasure? Who is the real fool?”

Valravn stares down at Ruby, and she has never felt so small as the hulking old man stares down at her. “Eyes of a shattered moon, ancient enemy of my kind – punishment for an ancient failure.” He snarls, sounding increasingly hateful towards Ruby – or perhaps just her Silver Eyes.

“Back in your hole, Val.” Qrow steps in front of them with his fists clenched. “They’re just kids!”

“We were all Corvus children. The call of the nest has sent us all into the same kingdom for the first time in decades. Tell me Qrow. Is this you answering the call? Or do you wish to pluck more feathers from this wounded family?” Valravn questions as he stares down at his Nephew.

“Look. Lemme and Raven speak in private.” Qrow requests.

“We haven’t the time. I feel it, a chill in the air. The same quiver in my spine from Beacon’s ashes. The Jackdaw will feed. Soon. The Crow and Raven must answer the call!” The King of the Ravens demands.

Valravn grabs Qrow by the shoulder, then Raven. Their eyes roll back and suddenly their minds do not inhabit their bodies anymore. Ruby steps back in confusion, before running forward and shaking Qrow by his collar.

“Uncle Qrow! Uncle Qrow!” Ruby cries out, Cinder getting back up and touching her bleeding cheek as Oscar helps her over to one of the tents to get patched up.

Qrow opens his eyes, and he is in the blizzard. Only Raven and Valravn are by his side.

The Branwens.

They look forward at the silhouette of Jackdaw, not facing them. He is talking with someone else, unawares of their existence, or the snow.

“Val…” Raven looks up at Valravn. “Are we… eavesdropping right now?”

Val doesn’t answer.

The three Branwens stare into the storm, seeing him standing there, a ghostly apparition of their enemy, speaking with someone. For the most part, her voice was deformed, but there was one sentence that they heard clearly.

“Of course I have information, darlin’. Lil’ Miss always delivers.” The voice with quite the flippant accent tells Jackdaw.

But then…

It is like he hears something, and he suddenly turns round and his red eyes glow like that of a demon, the caw of a thousand crows enter their mind. But they manage to escape just in time before he could latch on, and the snow vanishes from their gaze. Raven and Qrow both collapse to the dirt with a groan, whereas Valravn does not seem fazed by the event in the slightest.

“The hell was that?” Yang questions, crouching down beside her Uncle to check if he is okay, and Valravn looks upon them., staring straight at Ruby.

“The Jackdaw is on the hunt – his flight has taken him to Vacuo.” Valravn tells them, and Qrow stares at his Uncle with confusion.

“What? How could you tell?” He questions.

“The woman of which he spoke – an Information Broker. Who goes by the title – of Lil’ Miss Malachite.”

 

 


	10. Spiders and Power

**Author Note: Just so then everyone knows, I have decided to change the format of my writing from Present Tense to Past Tense. This is because my brother and I are now working on our original series which is being written that way. So this will help me get used to writing this way. If I do have slip-ups and accidentally do go to present tense and don’t realise then don’t be afraid to let me know. I want to make sure this becomes muscle memory for me.**

**At least this way it will help me improve upon my writing.**

**I hope you understand – Matt**

**Jackdaw**

His red eyes burned like coals as he stared in the direction that he thought he saw them watching, listening. He could feel it, he could hear it – the whispers of Valravn Branwen in the back of his mind.

“Valravn, Valravn, Valravn!” They all whispered, soft spoken voices constantly surrounded him and it hurt like a fire in the back of his mind. He clenched his gloved metal fist tight, stared off into the distance at where they were once stood in the plain. Sat at her table in front of him was Lil’ Miss Malachite.

Lil' Miss Malachite was a heavy-set middle-aged woman with light skin and short blonde hair kept in a bob haircut. She had a spider in its web tattooed on her left shoulder, a beauty mark under her right eye, lipstick on her upper lip and purple nail polish on her fingernails. The top of her dress was white and backless, with long sleeves and details, such as beads and straps, in purple. Below was a purple corset, and a long pleated skirt that was yellow on its top layer, purple in the middle one, and white in the lower layer. Her shoes were brown and decorated with a green ribbon.

Stood as her bodyguards were her two Twin Daughters – Militia and Melanie Malachite.

Melanie – once the teenage fighter hired by Junior with her sister – now had grown up into a young adult. She looked harder but wore the same style of clothing with long black hair and pale green eyes, highlighted by heavy cyan makeup. She wore a white, strapless dress with cyan lining. Her accessories included a large white flower hairpin above her left ear, a white feather scarf, a silver pad with cyan and red feathers on her left shoulder, white gloves, a small silver bracer over the glove on her left arm, a bow in the centre of the top-most part of her bodice, a silver chained belt, cyan wings on the lower back and long white boots with blades at the heels.

Militia – also grown up over the five years – also had returned back to her mother to serve alongside her. With short black hair and pale green eyes, highlighted by heavy red makeup. She wore a red strapless dress with black lining. Her accessories included large red and white feathers above her left ear, black fur hanging off her shoulders and held at the front by a dark grey chain, red gloves, a black bow tied around her waist and long red boots with very high stiletto heels.

The two sisters seemed to enjoy mirroring each other in subtle ways, and were much smaller in comparison to their mother. And yet the one that really gave off the more intimidating vibe was not the bodyguards but their mother instead.

She held her fan and gently cooled her face. “Little jumpy today, are we?” Lil’ Miss asked Jackdaw as he stared over his shoulder, and then those burning red eyes glared at some of the other Spiders inside of the place. The Gangster had plenty of minions, all of them armed and tattooed with the same spider in its web on their bodies. Some of the people had them on their shoulders, others on their backs, some on their sternum and others in placed covered by clothing. There were also some young women dancing on the poles and others flirting with the men inside, there were many ways to make money in Vacuo, and none of them were exactly pretty jobs.

“I’ve learned to prepare for anything.” Jackdaw answered, looking back at her as he slowly retracted the Grave Dust formed blades back into his arms. He could still hear the faint whispers in the back of his mind though.

“Valravn…Valravn…Valravn.”

It was constant but fading away, and he managed to push them away, swallow them up so then they could not affect him anymore. Lil Miss Malachite leant back into her chair, a silver dish with richly made dessert upon it, her spoon sat beside it. “Do you have the information I asked you to get me, or not?” Jackdaw asked her, and she chuckled.

“I do…but I was hoping we could chat first.” She said to him, but he gave her a stern glare.

“Tough shit, give me the information and I will leave.” Jackdaw demanded, but Lil Miss did not work that way – and when in her house, you follow her rules.

“You would like to be more careful with your tone with me – Jack the Ripper.” Lil Miss said, and he stared down at her with narrowed eyes. She smirked up at him, and she took her fancy cigarette and tapped the glowing orange ashes from the end into her ash tray. “Surprised? My little spiders have been following you for a long time now, Mr Branwen. Not everything can be buried, and I know plenty of information about you.” She warned, and Jackdaw narrowed his eyes at her. “So I would like you to be more polite to an Information Broker like myself, or I will spill all your secrets to the public. Then there will be nowhere left for you to hide.” She warned, and Jackdaw exhaled through his nose, he glanced at some of the Spiders that had their eyes on him.

He could take on all of them, but he did not want to leave a bloodbath. He needed his information, that was it, but if they push him any further, they would leave him no other choice. So he gave her what she wanted – as much respect as he could lend. “As you wish.” Jackdaw said to her, and she nodded her head.

“That’s better.” Lil Miss said with a chuckle, she glanced at her daughters and held her hand out to Militia. “My scroll, Darling.”

Militia turned to the other table and she approached it, and Jackdaw looked at her walk away. “Beautiful things aren’t they? The man I had them with was kind…but a bore.” She sighed and Militia came back with her scroll, placing it in her hand. “That’s a good girl.” She said, opening it and it formed a hologram, showing a Map of a specific location – Atlas.

Jackdaw stared at the highlighted location, beyond the safety of Atlas’ Walls – the Atlesian Wildlands.

“The location in which you seek is hidden in the Atlesian Wildlands. The Black Gallows made a big point about keeping this location a secret before they changed facilities, whatever it is you seek is in there. It also seems to have a network of underground tunnels – all of which feed into Atlas, a Ratway of Sorts.” Lil Miss explained to Jackdaw, pulling the chip of data out and handing it to Jackdaw. He picked it up and he looked at the green dot that glowed, meaning all the data was installed into the drive with ease.

“Every Kingdom has its secrets.” Jackdaw said, and she chuckled.

“Indeed. And one does not become the most powerful Kingdom on all of Remnant without having a dirty side. I believe these old tunnels were used to…mitigate…loose ends, if you catch my meaning.” Lil Miss chuckled, and Jackdaw nodded his head, pushing the drive into his pocket, and he turned to walk away from her.

“Many thanks.” He said to her, and she smiled.

“You know…you’ve been quite the interesting customer.” She said to him, and then two Bouncers that held the entrance stood in front of Jackdaw with their large axes in their hands, ready to cut him down if they had to. “But I would like to tell you something first – and you will leave, when I say you can leave.” Lil Miss said to him, and he looked over his shoulder at her with a glare. She gestured him to return, so he did, he did not want to bring the entire Kingdom down on his head. He could kill everyone in this room with ease, but it would not be silent by any means.

Jackdaw approached her and she smiled. “It seems like you’re afraid. Y’know…I used to be afraid of spiders. Wanna know what I did about it?” Lil Miss asked him curiously, and he raised a brow.

“Killed them?” He presumed.

“Oh no! The world needs Spiders, honey. I just made the spiders work for _me_.” She told him with a smile on her face, and he glanced at all of them that surrounded him. “I was weak once, a beggar on the streets with no name of power. But when I started to get the Spiders on my side, they brought me whispers. And within days, that information lifted me from the gutters I was starving in – to leading an empire based on Knowledge.” Lil Miss Malachite held out her arms to her small little empire she built with spiders everywhere. “You see? The woman who holds the keys to the books is Queen and honey…you should see me in a crown. You want to know what real power is? Knowledge is power.” She told him with a smirk, and Jackdaw stared at her.

Then he laughed, slowly it built and she raised a brow with confusion. “You think me afraid of your fancy words and arachnids that follow you?” He asked her. “You cling to what you claim is power, but your just hiding from the cold hard truth.” Jackdaw stated.

“Mhm? And what truth is that, sweetheart?” Lil Miss Malachite asked him curiously.

Then he launched the Fatal Feathers towards her, and they landed in the walls right next to her head, ear to ear, the same for both her daughters at her shoulders. Their eyes were wide and she felt fear, terror of how close that just was – everything she built could have ended just then. Jackdaw lowered his swung arm and he smirked sinisterly at her, he took off his hat and dusted off the particles from the air, before straightening it atop his dark brown hair again. “Power is Power.” He told her, and he turned to see all of the Spiders with weapons drawn on him, from firearms to melee weapons, all of them ready to attack him.

But they were all scared of him, and he walked towards them all, and he touched the blade of the machete that belonged to one of the men. “You all live in a fairy tale, you stand here thinking you run this Kingdom, and yet a man like me entered and could tear it all down. I could slice through every single one of you like carving a cake, and I would not even break a sweat.” Jackdaw warned, and then he looked at them all. From the men to the women and he pointed at them one at a time.

“Murderer. Thief. Beggar. Prostitute. All of you are just criminals thinking you are more than what you are, like you are all kings and queens atop an empire of sand. But you are all nothing more than spiders – small insignificant life forms beneath the power of man.” Jackdaw explained, he looked down at his boot at a small spider crawling across the ground. “And you know what’s the kicker?” He asked Malachite who stared at him. He raised his boot over the spider. “Even the Broodmother, can be crushed under a boot, in an instant.” He told her, slamming his boot down and crushing the spider, he twisted the boot and left the squished and mangled remains of the spider across the floor.

Jackdaw turned to walk away from them and Malachite yelled. “I have powerful friends, Jackdaw Branwen! Friends who will take pleasure in punishing you for this!” She yelled and he smirked as he walked towards the exit, he pushed the two bouncers down to the ground with the strength of his metal arms.

“Send them. I’ll be waiting.” He told her, and the doors slammed shut behind him.

 

**Cinder**

She winced as Vernal tended to some of her wounds after her battle against Ruby. Yang, Nora and Ren, a sewing kit on the bench beside her. Vernal used it carefully, using the needle and thread to pull her skin back together and hold it there. She got that wound on her arm from fighting against Ren, he managed to slash her arm with Stormflower and it left a mighty good gash on her. Cinder gritted her teeth together and pounded her fist against the table. “OW YOU BITCH!” Cinder exclaimed and Vernal rolled her eyes.

“Y’know you’ve said that about six times now.” Vernal calmly pointed out as she kept going, ignoring her friend’s winging.

“Well…it hurts!” She exclaimed once again with pain as she stared up at the starry sky, the sun was soon gonna rise but they were still in the dark of night at this moment.

“Oh wah, wah, wah. Just a cut, get it together.” Vernal ordered and Cinder scoffed.

“Easier said than done!” She strained once again as Vernal pulled the thread through the wound and out the other side, pulling the skin together. “OOO-HA-OOW!” She exclaimed once more, punching the table again. “You did that on purpose…”

“I never thought the Fall Maiden could complain so much. What’re you like with a paper cut?” Vernal scoffed as she kept on going, nearly finished up with fixing up the damage done to her.

“Paper cuts hurt like a bitch.” Cinder defended, which made Vernal chuckle at that. Fall Maiden right here, and she is making a fuss like a child who has a boo-boo. But as she kept going she turned to see Oscar Pine approach them with his weapon attached to his belt, chained hammers retracted back to where they should be.

“How’s she doing?” Oscar asked her.

“HOW’D YA THINK PAL?” Cinder screeched in pain, she felt the needle dig that time. “Why did you do that?”

“She may be the loudest patient I’ve worked on. You know I’ve had children quieter than you.” Vernal stated with a deadpanned expression directed towards Cinder. Cinder gave her a stare and she so wanted to go full Fall Maiden on her, but she couldn’t be bothered. And even then, she can’t.

“Damn powers…why’s it taking so long for me to recharge them?” Cinder groaned as Vernal finished up on the stitching. She got the gauze and started to wrap up her arm where the stitches have been used. She wrapped it up tight to prevent infection and also to stop any further bleeding.

“There, done.” Vernal said to her.

“Raven said you need to keep working at it. Like a muscle.” Oscar said to her, he walked over to a barrel and jumped up onto it, picking up an apple from the bowl on the barrel next to him. He took a big bite out of the apple, the juice trickled down his cheeks and his lip, and he enjoyed the sweet taste of the red apple.

“Sure, but how can Raven know how to train me? I respect her and all that, but she’s not a Maiden.” Cinder said, and Vernal chuckled.

“True, but her theory is that it is no different to working a semblance.” Vernal stated, which just made her scoff.

“Semblance…yeah having telekinesis that can only move grains of sand is a great ability, huh?” Cinder stated as she stared at the floor, she held out her hand and used that very same semblance. She could not even move the petal of the flower down by her boot, only the grains of dirt and sand beneath her. She only can lift a small cloud of it too, nothing more than that. It forms into a spherical shape and she holds it in her hand, before she gasps from the strain and it crumbles through her fingers. She punched the table with anger, so hard that the leg of the table broke and it fell forward.

“Cinder…” Oscar sighed.

“I’m not as lucky as the rest of you alright? Not as lucky as those kids. I can’t get stronger through electricity and I can’t turn into rose petals. Everything I can do, I had to suffer to get. I had to fight, I had to actually work for it. And now that I have it…I can barely use it for long.” She explained with anger, she had always hated herself for how weak she is. Even with the power of the Fall Maiden she could not use them for very long. It was something that Salem would scorn her for, it is most likely a reason why she did not return to her. Salem is cruel and deadly, those who fail her usually wind up dead, and the same goes for those who disappoint her.

Where else was she to go?

“Was that girl, the one with the Silver Eyes. Was she the one that did that to you?” Oscar asked her, pointing to his eye as he looked at her. Cinder stared at him and she rolled her only amber eye.

“Oh, what gave you that idea, Pine?” Cinder sternfully said back, and he held up his hands in surrender.

“Alright, jeez…just asking.” Oscar said, and Cinder sighed, she felt bad about snapping at him over the subject. She looked at the eighteen year old guy stood by the barrel now with his head held low.

“It’s alright…I’m sorry. I’m just in a…fighty…mood right now.” Cinder said, and Oscar raised a brow.

“You’re always in that mood.” He said, and Cinder chuckled.

“True.” Cinder agreed. “Well let’s just say I can’t blame them for attacking me first…I did cause the Battle of Beacon. And caused Emerald to cause Pyrrha to kill Penny. And nearly killed Ozpin. And nearly killed Pyrrha.” Cinder listed and they all looked at her, and when you add it all up, they can’t overly blame them either. She did do more bad than Ruby did to her, and Cinder sighed. “I guess I just wanted some payback…that burn hurt like hell after all.”

“A lot of _nearly killed_ scenarios.” Oscar commented.

“Don’t get me started on how many times I screwed up. Hell I managed to get caught hacking by that same girl. Although their security is shit.” Cinder admitted and Vernal gave her a stare.

“ _Language_.” She said, which made Cinder stare at her with disbelief.

“Oh raiding villages is okay but swearing is a no-no?” Cinder questioned, until she turned to see the little girl that they took in a few weeks ago. She couldn’t be any older than seven years old, with short brown hair and huge brown eyes she gazed at them curiously. She tilted her head with a smile and Cinder looked away from her. Oscar got up and he walked over to her, he crouched down and he ruffled her hair.

“Hey, Amber. Whatcha up to?” He asked her.

“I…I wanted some water…” She softly cooed, and Vernal sighed.

“I need to go see Raven, keep out of trouble for five seconds?” Vernal asked Cinder and she gave her a thumbs up.

“Can you watch her whilst I get her some water?” Oscar asked Cinder.

“Uh…I don’t think I should…”

“Thanks.” Oscar didn’t even give her the chance to answer, he just walked off to go get her water. Leaving the Fall Maiden alone with the little girl who looked at her curiously. She tilted her head and waddled closer.

“H-Hello.” Amber sweetly greeted with a tiny wave with her tiny hand. Cinder did not turn her head, she just kept trying to use her Fall Maiden powers, trying to ignite a flame in her hand. But nothing she tried gave any merit, gave her a chance. The flames just kept extinguishing as soon as she ignited them.

“Hi.” Cinder hardly even gave her much of a response, she muttered that greeting as she kept trying to ignite the flame. A smile of intrigue graced the little girl’s face as she looked at Cinder’s scarred hand that tried to ignite the flame.

“How’re you doing that? Are you magical? Are you a Witch?” She asked her curiously, and Cinder chuckled as she looked at the magic across her hand.

“No. I’m not a Witch.” She answered, and Amber looked at her, that curiosity grew with every second that passed her by.

“What happened to your eye? Did someone steal it?” She asked her curiously, which made Cinder chuckle, and she looked at her,

“No…actually…I’m a Pirate.” She joked with a smile, and Amber giggled with such life in her soul, shoulders bouncing and she hid in her hoodie at that.

“No you’re not! Pirates are long gone!” She giggled, and Cinder chuckled.

“Oh yeah? Then what would you call me?” She asked her, she looked at her, but then that smile seemed to fade and she looked away from her. Because deep down, she did not want to know what she would call herself.

_Monster?_

_The woman who killed so many all for a power she can hardly even use?_

_A weakling?_

_Maybe I am a Witch…People treat me like one, and I can’t blame them._

Cinder knew of this girl that they took in, all they knew about her was her first name – which was just Amber. And that was what hurt Cinder when she first heard about her, because the girl she killed to get these powers in the first place had the exact same name. She also had bronze skin and brown hair just like this little girl, like she is some kind of dark reminder for her to always remember. She stared away from her, unable to picture her face, and instead she kept seeing the woman she killed. Was she like that girl beside her? Was she so kind that she just wanted to make others happy?

And she took that soul from the world, all for this power that she can’t control.

The town they found her in was completely overrun by the Grimm, and it took them quite a bit of time to clear it out. Creatures feasted upon the cadavers of people, some of them were still screaming and alive, torn apart. They found Amber in her home, locked in her room, crying after she heard her parents be eaten alive by Beowulves. They knew what did this though, the Grimm attack was not what brought them there – at least it was not what killed them. It was the after effects of a Human Attack – an attack by the Vasillias Cartel. Their pull in Anima is extremely powerful and they have fought their men quite a few times, a reason why they cannot build up a permanent home. Soon they will need to move again.

Lavinia Vasillias is nothing if not persistent.

The Cartel would never ever wipe out an entire village for no reason, unlike most Bandits – it was likely that they did what they did due to the Mayor of the Town had a deal with them. And could not pay off his debt, so Lavinia got in back – her way.

Amber finally answered her question about what she thought she was. “I think…you’re a good person. A Huntress.” She told her, and Cinder froze when she said that, since that could not be a worse answer. She squeezed her eye shut and she blew out a shaky breath, she did not want to hurt the girl’s feelings and she looked at her.

“Not really…I’m just…I dunno. I’m a survivor.” She told her and Amber sat down on the log near her, but Cinder kept fiddling with the straps on her leg. “Haven’t you…I dunno, got somewhere else to be? I’m terrible company.”

“I’m happy here, it’s warm. I don’t like the cold…and my tent is dark.” She sniffled, and Cinder was no fool, poor Amber must have gotten those fears from being trapped inside of a closet for days with no food after hearing her parents get ripped to pieces by Grimm. “I miss my mommy and daddy…”

Cinder looked at her as she looked at the floor, and she sighed, she clenched her hands into fists since she could not say the same for her parents. She could still feel the cold glass in her hand when she stabbed them to death with the broken slipper. It was awkward for Cinder, she did not know what to say over the situation. “I…I know what you mean.” She said to her, and Amber looked at her.

“Did bad people come and hurt your mommy and daddy too?” She asked, and Cinder shook her head.

“Not exactly, kiddo.” Cinder said, and Amber looked at her curiously. “I’m not a good person…but my parents…my family…they were worse.”

Amber looked at her and her eyes widened. “I killed my mom and dad…that’s why you shouldn’t be a round me. I’m an evil bitch who doesn’t deserve your company.” She cursed and Amber tilted her head in curiosity.

“What’s a Bitch?” She asked her and Cinder’s eye widened and she gasped.

“Oop! No! Don’t say that…bad word.” Cinder begged her, she looked around and she started to giggle.

“Bitch?” She asked.

“Kid…” Cinder groaned.

“Bitch!” Amber giggled louder and Cinder groaned in defeat, rolling on the floor with a sigh, and Amber laid down next to her on the dirt. Cinder dwarfed her as she stared up at the stars that were beginning to fade.

“You’re torturing me, kid.” Cinder chuckled, and Amber giggled.

“Yay!” She giggled, making Cinder sigh and chuckle at the same time, she closed her eye as she laid there, staring up at the sky. Then Amber laid back down next to her, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Shouldn’t you get some sleep, little turnip?” She asked her, already coming up with a nickname for her, whether or not she wanted to get close to her or not.

“I can’t.” She told her, and Cinder glanced at her. “I keep hearing it…”

Cinder reached her hand out and she went to touch her shoulder and she sighed, she could not bring herself to hug the girl. So just patted her shoulder and she stood back up. “Wanna know how I keep the demons out?” Cinder asked her, and Amber looked back up. “The Nightmares just wanna win. So I remember how much I like winning, when the nightmares come for you – tell them to go away. Stand up, stare them in the eyes – and you show them you’re braver than they are.” Cinder explained, and she picked up the little girl and carried her back to her tent, she looked ahead and Amber softly cooed.

“But…what if it is braver than me? What if its bigger? What if it laughs at me?” Amber whimpered.

“No nightmare is bigger than you, it just makes itself look like it is. But it’s just a shadow, and shadows can’t hurt you, can they?” Cinder asked her as she approached the tent, opening it with her leg.

“No…” She agreed.

She laid her down on her bed and she started to tuck her in, and she looked at her. “You’re name is Cinder…isn’t it?” She asked her.

“Mhm.” She answered.

“Like…Cinderella?” She asked, and Cinder scoffed.

“Not…really.” She chuckled, since she did the complete opposite of what the Fairy Tale Character did. Amber looked out the open tent and she saw some of the Grunts walk past, and Shay was amongst them. His bruise had healed and he also had already had the broken tooth replaced with a silver one.

“Are you people…are you good? The people who hurt my mommy and daddy…they burned my home…are you like them, or better?” Amber asked with worry in her voice, and Cinder did not know how to answer that question. She looked over her shoulder at the Grunts that walked around.

_Some of us…but Raven does not have complete control over what the damn Grunts do._

But she needed Amber to get to sleep.

So she…half lies.

“We’re good people, we just hurt the bad people. Like the ones who hurt your mommy and daddy.” She told her and Amber smiled. “Remember what I said about Nightmares? I bet you’ll get plenty of sleep tonight.” She promised and Amber smiled up at her, and Cinder closed and zipped up her pink tent they gave her. She stepped back and glanced at some of the Grunts nearby, who were trying on stolen jewellery. She did not even notice Oscar walking up to her from behind.

“She went back to sleep?” He asked her, holding the glass of water he got her from the tap. Cinder nodded her head and sighed.

“And I just had to lie to her.” She said.

“About what?”

“That we’re good people.” She said, because the jewels of which those Grunts were messing around with were from an innocent village that they raided against Raven’s orders. And she knew, but she cannot control them – sometimes they need to get out their worst impulses to stay under her command.

And Raven hates that.

All of them do, but the Grunts are merely firepower.

At the end of the day, no matter how many times they tell themselves they are doing the right thing – they are still Bandits.

 

**Ruby**

The Silver Eyed Girl felt so alien in this camp, people gave her stares, stares that looked like they wanted to kill her. All because of the colour of her eyes, she might not be the greatest of wordsmiths like Valravn but she heard what he was saying. It sounded like he was saying that they have been at war with her kind for a very long time, and that they do not trust her at all. It hurt, because she never said anything to offend them, but all of their reactions clearly were based around fear.

She did not forget what she did that night, the night she froze the Grimm Dragon and sent the Black Smog retreating into the Emerald Forest. She kept walking through the camp in search for her sister, since she lost sight of her when she was looking around the camp. She could not find any of them in the camp as she searched. “Yang! Nora! Ren! Qrow!” She called out their names in desperation and then she heard another voice.

“Y’know, I took Dulcis here so he could avoid the yelling.” Eryka told her, sat on a rock as she stroked his feathers gently as he looked at Ruby. She smiled at Neptune’s older sister and she approached her, at least she had found someone she knew in this alien location of people she had never met before now. “I could hear you when you were all the way back there, by the way.” Eryka stated, due to her heightened senses thanks to learning how to bond her aura with an Altum Eagle. Ruby sat down next to her as they looked out across the fields of Mistral, the little clearing that the Branwens made their home in was beautiful and with the sun rising slowly over the mountains, it only made it prettier.

“Sorry.” She apologised.

“Don’t worry about it – I’m guessing that the black haired gal was Cinder Fall?” Eryka presumed and Ruby nodded her head with stern silver eyes.

“Yeah…”

“Sorry. But if she is part of the Tribe then we need to get on with it, they never sell out their own.” Eryka stated, and Ruby looked at her. She couldn’t really tell if she could trust her again, that was one hell of a secret to keep from her friends. Even her brother, but even then – she said it was a painful memory.

Ruby looked at Dulcis and she gently reached out to him, wanting to think of something other than Cinder Fall. “Can I?” She asked her and she held out her arm, and Ruby did the same. It was incredible, Dulcis gently stepped onto her unprotected arm, he made sure his talons did not nick her skin or cut her in any way. He softly chirped as he looked at Ruby and she smiled. “Hi…” She greeted. “He’s so beautiful.”

“Yeah…he gets all the fuss, don’t you fatty?” Eryka teases and he softly chirps at her.

“Fatty?” Ruby asked.

“Trust me, he eats way more than he should.” Eryka chuckled, she shook her head at the huge Bird of Prey whilst Ruby petted him. Eryka had a feeling the question was coming, so she was ready when Ruby asked her.

“Can I…ask you something?” She asked her.

“About my relation to the Tribe?” She asked, and Ruby was caught in her tracks, which made Eryka chuckle. “Sure…I mean it’s a long and hard story for me to tell.” She said, so Ruby gave Dulcis back to his owner and she let him bounce onto the rocks next to her. He sat down as she began to tell the story. “So…do you want the long or the short?”

“Just the truth…if that’s alright.” Ruby asked and Eryka nodded her head.

“Alright then…well to start – have you heard of the Vasillias Cartel?” She asked her, and Ruby nodded her head.

“I didn’t think you and Neptune were related in any way though.” Ruby said.

“We are – well by blood by any means – my Mother is a dangerous woman, and her desire has always been to control the Criminal Underworld. And she has succeeded in that…I left when she took over Vacuo’s Underworld – you’ll see the damage of what she did when we go there.” Eryka explained to her. “When she did it though, I took Neptune when he was a baby and I got the two of us out of there. We found somewhere safer, far away from where my mother could find us. I don’t think she ever wanted to find us though, it was easy to live away from her – she never sent anyone after us. Nobody ever came.” Eryka shrugged her shoulders and crossed her legs.

“It was good for a while, we lived in an orphanage for a few years and then were taken in by this young couple. They were really good to Neptune, but I think they also admired me…which I think was what lead to Neptune looking up to me so much.” Eryka explained, pointing to her blue hair in the process.

“What colour hair do you normally have?” Ruby asked and she smirked.

“You’ll never know.” She giggled and that made Ruby giggle too. “The couple got us through school…until I tried to become a Huntress. That was when things started to go downhill for me – I could never activate my aura, that came later on from different methods. So they rejected me, denied me entry into the training classes because of my inability to produce an aura. Even now, it’s not strong enough for prolonged combat like you.” Eryka explained as she let her ocean blue aura flicker across her body. “I went dark for a while after that, I worked in Coffee Shops, Restaurants, Tattoo Parlours…anything I could use my other skills to make money from. Our Foster Parents were very supportive…but…it wasn’t right…not for me.” Eryka explained.

“There’s nothing wrong with being like other people.” Ruby said with the shrug of her shoulders.

“Yeah, but I didn’t want that life. I heard of the things my mom did, and I didn’t want that to happen anymore. I wanted to make sure that crime stopped, at least at first I did. One night, at the Coffee Shop I was working at, a pissed off customer caused a ruckus so I defended the store and myself by knocking him on his ass.” Eryka explained, and Ruby chuckled. “Turned out the owner of the Coffee Shop was also making money by betting on the Illegal Bare Knuckled Boxing Matches that took place, in the sewers underneath Vale. He saw I had potential, and wanted to make a tonne of lien.”

“So he used you?” She asked.

“Not really, he hired me. We split the earnings fifty-fifty, we made a damn lot of money in those matches. But they were painful, bare knuckled boxing matches got bloody and violent fast, people were known to die down there.” Eryka explained, when she pulled off one of her gloves and revealed the scarring around her knuckles and fists themselves. Her wrist shook as she showed it to Ruby, and Eryka could barely even look at it, and Ruby gasped when she stared at the scars. “I beat plenty of people bloody, it got to the point where I didn’t know if it was my blood or not. I got my fair share of scars too from it.” Eryka explained and Ruby looked at her, she really did fall hard after failing her Entry Exam into Beacon.

“That…sounded terrible.”

“It wasn’t really, I mean it was, but I was making lots of lien from these fights. I took my winnings and I moved on, and I thought I was gonna find better prospects…but as you can tell by my story…I didn’t. I ended up falling off the wagon big time, I started drinking heavily one night. Getting completely wasted every night and most nights I returned back home to our Foster’s home, falling and stinking of booze. Eventually…they kicked me out, and told me to make something of my life.” Eryka explained, tears welled up in her eyes and it was clear that she felt so guilty for how their bond ended. “I don’t think they told Neptune, otherwise he would’ve hated me.”

“What happened after that?” Ruby asked her.

“Well one night I got drunk and caused a ruckus, got into a pretty serious fight that ended up with us both getting thrown through the glass and into the street. I won, but I nearly killed the guy. That’s when I met this guy, who said I had useful skills. His name was Shamus Desmond Mann. Also known as Shay . D . Mann.” She scoffed, and Ruby remembered his face earlier when he tried to flirt with Yang and got his tooth knocked out in the process.

“Oh god…him?” Ruby nearly gagged.

“Mhm, prick tried to sleep with me on multiple occasions but it ended a similar way it did with him and Yang earlier. He took me to Raven’s Camp, and I stayed the night. I stayed more than that though, I ended up joining them because Raven helped give me a purpose after how far I fell. And at first it felt right, we were going after other Bandits and Gangs, killing and taking what they had. I went with Raven and we gave some of our earnings to some Villages to help them.” Eryka explained to Ruby.

“But?” She asked.

“One night, I went with Shay and some of his Grunts on an _errand run_.” Eryka used quotations on the word errand. “He told me one of the guys who owed us a debt wasn’t paying, so we went to go sort it out. But…it was a family, a guy who had a dying ten year old boy. I thought we were just gonna scare them, it’s what Raven said the Grunts should do. But…Shay and his men flayed the father alive…they…took his wife…and he beat his son to death…right in front of me.” Eryka explained, and Ruby’s eyes widened with horror, and she looked into the centre of the Camp, she could see him talking with the grunts.

“He…” Ruby stammered. “He’s a monster.”

“Raven uses him to get the dirty jobs done because he enjoys it, but she can’t control him or her Grunts. They will follow her, but if she tells them not to attack an innocent Village…it will be burned down by morning. They are monsters.” Eryka warned her. “We have come to a dangerous place, don’t forget that. These people are Bandits…I realised that after I saw what he did to that family. So I packed my things and I left. I wandered for a long time…until I found the Summit’s Claim.” Eryka explained to Ruby, and the Silver Eyed Girl looked at her with curiosity.

“What’s that?” She asked.

“Hey…what’s going on here?” Shay asked as he walked over with a bottle in his grasp, and Ruby stared at him with fear in her eyes. He raised a brow with confusion. “What’s up?” It was like he did not even know why she was staring at him like he was some kind of monster for the things he did. Eryka stood up and she sighed.

“Just trading war stories, Shay.” She told him, and Shay nodded his head at her.

“Oh yeah? How about we share some War Stories…in my tent? I know you like guys too honey. Come on, we all know you can’t resist me.” Shay whispered to her, and Eryka glared at him, and then he turned to see Ruby with her weapon in her hands. “What’s with the kid?”

“Don’t worry about me – _she’ll_ kick your ass.” Eryka warned as she gestured to Crescent Rose. “I’ve seen her chop up Grimm like a chef chops up a salad. So…do yourself a favour. Leave us alone.” Eryka snarled at him, and Shay sighed as she shook his head.

“Never any fun are you?” Shay sighed.

“Even if I did – I’m spoke for.” Eryka stated, shoving past him and Ruby followed. They left the Bandit behind and he smirked as he stood there, then he turned to see Dulcis glaring right back. Instead of even trying anything, he just walked away from the huge Bird of Prey.

“Of all the places we could have gone for help…I honestly think I can trust Killian better than I can trust these savages.” Ruby snarled and Eryka chuckled.

“I doubt it, at least with Bandits you know their assholes. Killian? I can never get a read on him.” Eryka stated as she and Ruby walked towards Raven’s tent. They pushed it open and they looked around. Everyone was here, Yang was in the corner Ren and Nora were stood beside Qrow. He was speaking with his sister and his Uncle after what they saw, and Qrow turned when he heard her enter the tent.

“Oh, there you are. We were just getting ready to go to Vacuo.” Qrow said to her and Ruby nodded her head, still a bit shaken from Eryka’s story of what Shay did to that poor family.

“That’s right. We will not be taking a large team with us, probably just the people in this room.” Raven explained.

“Count us in too.” Oscar said, and the four of them stood up as they saw Oscar, Vernal and Cinder walk in, and they all looked at each other again. Qrow held up his hands between them, looking at both sides.

“Don’t…start…another…fight.” Qrow requested.

“No way, she doesn’t come with us. She’ll stab us in the back.” Yang snarled.

“If I wanted to kill you, blondie, I would have done it already.” Cinder growled with her fist clenched.

“We need her, Vacuo is a deadly place, so it would be better to have a hard hitter there. And besides we have plenty of people remaining here to guard the place. Shay will be one of them.” Raven explained.

“Good, he’s a loose cannon anyway.” Eryka stated.

“Agreed.” Qrow nodded his head.

“When we go there, keep your eyes peeled. Vacuo has kinda…lost its focus after the Vasillias Cartel decimated the Vacuo Mafia. Gang Wars everywhere and Crime is at record highs now.” Qrow warned, he had seen the results ever since it happened. The four of them look at each other, the fact that they must go into the Criminal Underworld to track down Jackdaw is quite terrifying.

“And be careful around Lil Miss Malachite. She has Spiders everywhere, and their whispers allow her to learn everything about you. And just watch yourself. Everyone ready?” Raven asked them, and the four looked at each other and nodded their heads. They all stood at the ready.

The Branwens.

Cinder, Oscar and Vernal.

Eryka Vasillias.

Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren.

Raven walked past Valravn who stepped aside and she swung her red sword, opening up a portal for them to walk through. As it opens some grains of sand got blown through into their tent and Raven looked to them.

“Here we go…the adventure begins.” Ruby said, as she walked first into the portal.

Into Vacuo.

 

 


	11. Termites of Doubt

**Ozpin**

He stood before her gravestone, he looked down at her name with his hands held atop the rounded head of his cane.

_Glynda Goodwitch_

_Loved by many for her kindness and sternness_

_We will never see her like again_

Flowers covered the grave with love and care, gentle and loving cards were left behind as well where she lay, his brown eyes stared down upon the flowers. Violets and roses all piled atop her grave, with goodbye cards that rested upon the dirt. The Funeral had ended a few minutes ago, Cardin and Pyrrha were the last people to leave the Graveyard, and the Black Gallows soldiers that were stationed here took Ironwood’s body and delivered him to the Atlesian ship nearby so then they can bring him home. Winter wanted to go with him to see him off, but she knew she could not leave the Academy Grounds. Even if the bombs were not inside the concrete, she could not leave her sister and she needed to know where her girlfriend was.

Ozpin had already said his goodbyes, he and Ironwood may have had their disagreements in the past but they were still friends. And Ironwood was always one of his most trusted allies, he always obeyed him and listened to his advice. But none of Ozpin’s advice and teachings could have possibly saved him from what happened to him. No amount of training can save you from a surprise Terrorist Attack from a smart foe you never realised you had.

Ozpin felt lost, he did not even know what to say to her grave now that he was finally alone, so he just knelt down and he placed his hand atop the grave stone, and he stared at the name that he had just read. “I’m sorry…I tried to help you…I truly did. I wanted you to be ready, I never wanted to be in this position I am now…you deserved better than this.” Ozpin stated as he stared at the grave, and then he hanged his head low, and he tensed at the mere idea of seeing where she died. Of hearing Jackdaw’s voice and seeing his red eyes that seemed to burn into his enemy’s soul.

The cold breeze of the coming storm came close as he remained by her side, and he scratched the back of his neck that was hidden beneath his black suit. But as he sat there, and he closed his brown eyes, he started to remember a time…a very long time ago.

It must have been thirty years ago, because Glynda was still a student at the newly formed Beacon Academy. He taught her everything she ever knew, he helped her unlock her semblance and utilize her aura to the best of her abilities. He trained her how to create a weapon, and due to her past life of being raised on a farm, she always knew how to use the crop she still used up until the day she died. She always had quite the fiery personality and temper, but he helped her control that anger.

He held his cane in his hand and he smiled as he looked at tiny Glynda, who had her hair tied up into a pretty braided tail, and she swung her Crop towards him. It blasted a pulsating ball of purple aura towards him and he deflected the incoming shot with the cane. The purple energy coursed across the cane, and he slid back across the ground and he chuckled. Ozpin charged at her and she ran towards him, he jumped right over her head and she used her Crop to shatter the ground that he was about to land upon. The concrete and tarmac cracked and shattered into chunks, as she lifted it up into the air. But Ozpin managed to land upon the remnants of the ground with impressive ease, and he leapt off it, just as she tried to crush him inside of the rocks. He landed right in front of her and struck, he slammed his cane across her face so hard it threw her back, and she slid across the ground.

Glynda glared at Ozpin with gritted teeth, and thus she formed an artificial storm cloud with her Crop, one that Ozpin lifted his gaze to see the clouds that formed above him. He nearly thought it was the powers of a maiden, but he knew how that Crop worked. He helped her design it, she blasts some energy from her aura but also has a small canister of both gravity and lightning dust which gave her abilities that would seem like it was magic. But nothing in the slightest at the end of the day, just more tricks thanks to Ozpin to scare their enemies.

But Ozpin slammed his cane down into the ground and he formed a dome shaped barrier of green energy around his body, which acted like a shield. The lightning came crashing down, like the hands of Brothers Light and Darkness tried to pull him back into their claws. But instead, they could not touch him, and as soon as he had the chance, he erupted through the bubble and he struck her once more.

That one finally broke her aura, and knocked her onto the floor. He yelled in anger, and as she swung her arms into the floor, the crop sent a pulse of gravitational energy into the stones, which cracked the smooth stone surface with great ease. Ozpin looked around and he sighed, he walked with his cane over to her and he raised his brow. “Go on…you know how we always clean up after a fight, don’t you?” He asked her and she huffed, and she sat up, she held up her crop and the stones started to rise up, but they quivered in the air, and they fell from her grasp like they were far too heavy for her to burden herself with. She panted with exhaustion, and she stared at Ozpin with anger.

“I can’t!” She argued.

“Enough with the self-doubt, Glynda. You have great strength in you.” Ozpin assured.

“I’ve been trying! Look at all this! Everything I throw at you, and not one bit of it can stop you!” She argued with a huff, and he sat down next to her, around the decimated training grounds that they were using.

“Not every enemy is as strong as me, Glynda. But at the same time, you must be ready to face a man or woman like yourself. Or even a Creature of Grimm, there are terrifying monsters out there in the world, and I am dead certain there are beasts that make me look like small fry in comparison.” He explained with a chuckle, Glynda stared at him and she rolled her large green eyes with a heavy sigh, she bent her crop with frustration. A thing she would do even before she died, when students would get on her nerves.

“I’m not strong enough, I keep making the same mistakes over and over again. I need to show my enemies how strong I am…they’ll probably back down before the fight even begins.” Glynda hoped, rather naively, an idea that truly would never come to the minds of her future students.

“Now that right there, is why you will fail.” Ozpin told her, and she raised a brow.

“What does that mean?” She asked him.

“It means that you must choose when to broadcast your power. You cannot show it all the time, especially not to a huge enemy. They will figure out your strengths and from there they will find your weaknesses. It is what I would do, after all.” Ozpin explained to her, and she scoffed.

“And you’re a perfect tactician?” She questioned, which made the new Headmaster laugh.

“Gods no, not even close. I have made plenty of mistakes in my life, Glynda, and I am almost certain my blunders are still to continue in my life.” Ozpin explained to her, and she looked at him with curiosity. “But…I know how warriors fight. I have been taught by some of the greatest men and women in history, and I wish to make sure that this idea continues.”

“But I don’t understand, if I cannot use my powers on my enemies…then what’s the point in having them?” She asked, a question Ozpin had heard countless times before.

“If I had a lien every time someone asked me that…I would be richer than Nicholas Schnee.” He chuckled, this was a time before Jacques Schnee came into power after marrying the previous Nicholas’ daughter – Willow.

“That’s a lot of questions.” Glynda chuckled, which made Ozpin chuckle too.

“Yes…it is.” He said, before he clarified what he meant. “You see, when I say you can’t broadcast your powers, it is like telling everyone you have a gun under the table you are sat at. Your enemy cannot know what you are capable of until they think they are about to get the upper hand on you. Because at that point, they are gonna get cocky and not expect anything.” Ozpin explained as he got up, and he started to show an example with snow. It was winter at the time and the snows were still falling everywhere. “Take this for an example, I could stand here in front of you and just make a snowball and throw it straight at your face. You would have seen it coming, and you would have dodged.” He stated, as he launched it right at her, and just as he predicted, she dodged it.

He turned his gaze and he smirked when he saw Professor Peter Port emerging from one of the buildings, a much younger man with dark black hair and that huge moustache still over his lip. “Ah yes, Bart! The Legendary Manticore would make for a fine kill.” Port chuckled, he still had that booming personality even back when he was a mere Teaching Assistant. Ozpin slowly formed a snowball and he grinned at Glynda who softly giggled.

“But…when they least expect it…” Ozpin said, and he launched the snowball straight at the Weapon’s Expert across the courtyard from them, and he nailed him in the face. He staggered back and he gasped, suddenly he face was freezing, and that made Glynda guffaw with laughter. “You can make a lethal hit, maybe even tear them to the ground…or at least make them slip up.” He added, as Port slipped on some ice as well, which made Glynda laugh even louder.

Port stared at them and he at first looked offended, but then he laughed as well, as he always would. Oobleck laughed as well as he helped Port back up to his feet, and Ozpin returned to his student’s side, and he sat down next to her. “You see? Save your best cards for when the time is right, and if you learn how to fight without your semblance, then you will only need to use it for a last resort.” Ozpin explained and Glynda nodded her head, but as always, with youthful curiosity.

“But…what if I tricked my enemy? Tricked them to think I was weaker than I was?” She asked and Ozpin chuckled, and he ruffled her blonde hair.

“You know what I think?” He asked her. “If you keep working at it…working on your many skills you can hone…I think you can do more than just overpower them. Than just trick them. You will make them wish they had never been born.” Ozpin assured with a smile and Glynda smiled back.

Every day he taught her when she was a student, he made a promise to her that she would get to grow old and have a family one day. She always hated the idea of it, and she never did get to have children, that chance was stolen from her, just as it was stolen from Ironwood and everyone else who died.

For now…here he stood…and he stared at her grave.

He could stand there for days and days on end, and he would just pray that none of this was real, or that somehow he could save her. But his mind would always return to reality and he would know for certain the truth behind what has happened. The fact that Glynda was an unfortunate casualty in a deranged killer’s bombings.

“Sometimes we cannot prepare those we train for death…no matter how hard we think we teach ourselves.” The voice of Nathaniel Killian said behind Ozpin, and he turned swiftly as if he heard the whisper of as demon behind him. But the Commander of the Black Gallows stood before him, with his hands respectfully behind his back as he approached. Killian never attended the funeral service, because he said it was not his place. Not only because he expected they would cut his throat open, but he did not know her – not like they did.

Ozpin however could see straight through this nice-guy act. Killian may have a human side but the fact he would turn on them in an instant completely overshadows any kindness he would show his way. The Old Professor had seen men like him come and go, and every single one has been crushed by the spinning wheel of monstrosities…their secrets always get shown to the world, and the weight of the world soon is too much for them to bear. And yet here Killian stood – completely untouched from consequences for his actions.

Ozpin’s stare seemed to last for hours but it was only for around ten seconds. “What do you think you’re doing here?” Ozpin snarled with disgust, he may have agreed with Killian’s stationing at Beacon Academy to keep as many people inside and alive as possible – but that did not mean he had to forgive and forget everything he had done.

“I am not here to breed conflict, but merely to pay my respects.” Killian said as he approached the grave and he crouched down by the flowers and her name. He sighed, and he reached into his bag and he pulled out a small bouquet of flowers of many colours and he set it down atop the grave. “Such a shame…a needless death. I did not know her well, but she struck me to be a fiercely strong woman, who always knew what was right.”

Ozpin stared at him as he paid his respects to her. “Not always…but nobody does.” Ozpin stated and Killian nodded his head.

“Ain’t that the truth?” Kilian scoffed as he rose up beside Ozpin who looked like he was about to break his neck. “I truly am sorry for what has happened here.” Killian apologised once again to the Professor, but that nearly made Ozpin snap.

“You do realise her death is on you, don’t you?” Ozpin growled, and Killian stared at him.

“I beg your pardon?” Killian questioned.

“If not for you, and your horrific history of keeping Prisoners in your Black Cells – Jackdaw would have rotted and she would not be in the ground. Neither would James.” Ozpin growled with anger, and Killian stared right back.

“Jackdaw Branwen…is an enigma. Every time we have put him in the cells nothing ever worked, he never broke – and I believe he is too far gone already. He is driven by a sense of purpose that is terrifying to me.” Killian explained, the way he described Jackdaw it made him sound like he was some sort of force of nature. A being that cannot be stopped, unless it was by his own cursed semblance.

But Ozpin just stared right back. “You should have put a bullet in the man’s head a long time ago, after the first breakout that was when I realised that containment will never stop him. But you ignored my words, and you continued to hold him in your custody. Everyone that is dead died because of your decision to ignore my advice.” Ozpin growled, and Killian stared right back.

“You’re right. And that is why I am going after him now, it is why I am sending my best men with me to hunt him down and bring him to justice. The old fashioned way.” Killian explained. “And I will do it for the safety of the people.”

Ozpin laughed, he laughed in a way that seemed like it was out of his character, because it was out of complete and utter disbelief of Killian and his excuses. “Is that what you tell yourself when you sleep at night? That everything you do is for the greater good?” Ozpin questioned him, almost grilled him.

Killian walked towards Ozpin and they stared each other in the eyes, the fiery tension of hatred between both sides could be felt like a blazing hot fire. “Do you? Do you tell yourself those things? After everything you’ve done?” Killian asked him, and Ozpin narrowed his eyes.

“I did the things I did for the good of Remnant. But you? All you care about is control, it is all you’ve cared for. The only thing you have ever wanted was to see the way of life we have enjoyed for years to be thrown out the window.” Ozpin explained.

Killian scoffed. “Peace? You call what you have around you peace? You have created a level of Freedom that has allowed chaos to reign. Look at the world – the White Fang, the Branwen Tribe, the Vasillias Cartel, the Vacuo Mafia. You have allowed the terrors of the world to roam free, which in turn has caused countless people to suffer in the process. I aim to break this cycle of pain once and for all. If I have to spill blood along the way, if I have to make some people unhappy – then I will.” Killian stated, and Ozpin shook his head.

“What you will bring is chaos. Negativity will spread like the pox, and the casualties will far worse. Grimm will flood cities and towns, and blood will flow in the rivers that were once blue. Is that what you want?” Ozpin snarled.

“What do you think I am going to do? You think I’m gonna just use my men to wipe out the Academies? That is the last thing I want, if I can help Remnant by fixing these problems as fast as possible then I will take that chance. And besides, my men wouldn’t stand a chance against the Academies if you took up a defensive position.” Killian explained to Ozpin as he walked around the graveyard. “But my men will help defend the towns and cities when Huntsmen are not around to protect them. That is the advantage with the Vytal Consensus, increased security is hardly a burden.”

“But you are stealing their freedom.”

“As I said. Complete Freedom is dangerous. You give a man with powers like the children you teach the freedom you have granted them…who’s to say what they will become? Who’s to say they will not use that power they love so much…to burn those beneath them to cinders?” Killian asked him and Ozpin scoffed and shook his head once again.

“You stand before me, and you talk like you believe your future is perfect. But once you forge this new future there will be people to stand against you. I have seen many faces and kingdoms come and go in my life – and I have learned an important fact. There will always be chaos, your desire to stop it will never work. I merely aim to create warriors that can try and stop wars before too many souls are lost in the process.” Ozpin explained to him, and Killian stared at him sternly.

“Not if you can stop the chaos bringers before they ever try and rise against us.” Killian stated, and it was always thinking like that that made Ozpin not trust him.

_He’s insane…even if he does not realise it…he really thinks this is the right thing._

_But I am looking at the making of a Tyrant._

_I have seen this kind of thinking before…_

“I have seen men like you rise and fall all my life…and the ones that have always worried me the most, I have stopped them. I have shown their secrets to the world and let the masses tear them apart.” Ozpin stated as he stared at Killian. “And yet…after what you did to my Academy…to Jaymes Ickford four years ago…all the men and women I paid to unveil your dark secrets all met the same fate. Either wound up dead by _natural causes_ or merely disappeared without a trace.” Ozpin explained as he walked towards the Black Gallows Commander, who merely stared emotionlessly at him. “I wonder…what do you know of this mystery?”

Killian stared at him, and the glare was enough of an answer. Killian just stared directly back with those dark onyx eyes. “Yes…you have done many things Oz. As have I. You judge me for my actions…but you know…that we are the same thing.” Killian snarled, and he walked straight past Ozpin and away from Glynda’s grave. “I pray your ideology is right, Ozpin…I truly do….because I do not want any more innocents to die.” Killian stated, as he walked away from the grave.

Ozpin watched as he walked away, and only one saying appeared in his mind.

 _A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing_.

 

**Killian**

Killian walked away from Ozpin, with his heart hanging from the tethers of his paranoia.

_Of course it was him, suddenly all these journalists and Investigators started to dig into my past and my history. I always had a feeling he was the man behind it, I didn’t want them killed but I had to._

_If I lost my position I would no longer be of use and my whole mission would be ruined…it was right to eradicate them._

_…wasn’t it?_

These questions were like termites, they kept creeping into his mind and building their little fortresses of his internal conflicts. For a man as cold and calculating like himself, every single death he would order, every single person he had captured and reformed in the Black Cells. It was like those Termites of Doubt started fortifying their holds, and soon they were going to be impossible to remove. No man on Remnant has such thoughts that would creep inside of his kind the way they do for him, and every single one of those termites were put there by his own doing.

His own sins.

But as he walked away from the Graveyard and left Ozpin with his student’s burial site, he felt something buzz and vibrate in his pocket. He slowed down and he pulled out the Scroll to see the name of the individual that was calling him.

_Doctor Arthur Watts_

He stared at his name and he stammered, and he looked around, before he finally answered the call. He could feel the burning impression of Ozpin’s eyes on the back of his head, so he kept walking when he answered him. “Are you completely mad? Calling me in the middle of Beacon Academy?” He softly spoke to his ally – not friend, not in the slightest.

“Oh calm yourself, I have secured this connection. The only people listening to this right now is Salem and her…fascinating Creature.” He said, and Killian could hear the soft clicking hiss of the Seer right next to him. He could tell he was staring at it like a child who just found a snow globe for the first time. Killian rolled his eyes, he very rarely came by to Salem’s Sanctum but whenever he did in his time serving her, Watts would always be staring at the Creatures she created.

Killian was also not blind, Watts must have been the first of the Disciples Salem brought on, and that was very clear from their apparent friendship. She adheres the advice of her advisers but Watts was the only man amongst them that was quite flippant with her and she would normally threaten someone with death the way he acted around her. But at the same time she was always quite nice to him – as nice as the Dark Queen could be. He was also the only Disciple that would be in the room with her first, and Killian once even saw the two of them actually sharing wine as they spoke.

If anyone has her ear, it was always Watts above all else.

“So, Killian – I would like you to give us a report on everything going on so far.” Watts asked of him and Killian rolled his eyes.

“Things were going according to plan, until Jackdaw attacked and caused a divide between two Teams. Teams R.W.B.Y and J.N.P.R.” Killian revealed to him and Watts chuckled softly.

“It’s always those two…isn’t it?” Watts notices.

“Indeed. Any chaos that seems to happen they are always involved. Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren have gone rogue. We presume they have gone with Qrow Branwen and Eryka Vasillias to hunt the bastard down.” Killian explained to Watts as he walked down the paths, his eyes met the many students that had to sit quietly nearby.

“Then it is likely Qrow Branwen was heading to his sister, you know how predictable he is.” Watts presumed.

“I know…in fact I was hoping your little birds had some information.” Killian requested and he chuckled on the other end.

“Indeed I do. My little birds range far and wide across Remnant. Even amongst the Branwen Tribe, and they have many interesting stories to tell. Some of which have been of great interest to our Queen as well.” Watts revealed and Killian slowed down with widened eyes.

“That so? What do you have? We managed to track our ship’s signatures near Patch and my men are already investigating the island. If he did find Raven then her portals will make tracking them even harder.” Killian explained, and Watts nodded on the other end of the Scroll Conversation.

“My Whispers have informed me that they are going to Vacuo, turns out that Jackdaw Branwen has been following some orders after all. He has been helping us secure a way into Atlas…as you said, the death of Ironwood has made infiltration even harder.” Watts explained, and he could hear him sigh. Killian knew that sigh, it was because Watts knew that Killian was right. Jackdaw is a lethal weapon, but you could never truly control him, he was like a wildfire, and controlling a wildfire is damn near impossible.

“Vacuo…what the hell could they possibly find in Vacuo? After the destruction of the Vacuo Mafia the whole Kingdom has descended into madness.” Killian explained.

“Indeed, but there is a Criminal Organisation with a very valuable trade. The Spiders. The Malachites have been using their Information and Spiders to rule the Underworld for years, and they even assisted the Mafia at one point. But Lil Miss Malachite serves nobody, only those who pay more. How do you think Lavinia Vasillias managed to destroy the whole Mafia in one night?” Watts asked him and Killian nodded his head.

“And Jackdaw spoke with her? Regarding information?” Killian assumed.

“Correct. Makes sense that they go to her, but worry not. My little bird has given me information that can help break their spirit some more.” Watts assured Killian, and the Commander nodded his head.

“Well that’s some good news. I thank you.” Killian said.

“What about the Vytal Consensus? How many Huntsmen and Huntresses have signed it, bar those who ran?” Watts inquired, and Killian answered.

“A lot of them funnily enough, turns out that the students are smart enough to know that to have a comfortable future you need a stable income.” Killian explained and Watts chuckled.

“Lien is always the sweetest of persuasions.” Watts stated and he nodded his head.

“Indeed it is. I just pray it is not too late for the Rogues.” Killian stated, despite his inner frustration towards their defiance.

“Well, I do have some more information from our Loose Cannon.” Watts revealed, and that was always the nickname that they gave Jackdaw Branwen, since he has always been seen that way.

“Jackdaw’s talking to you?” Killian asked.

“Of course, I know you hate him and want to kill him but he still serves us. And he has told me that five more names have been ticked off the list of people from Beacon that can leave.” He revealed and Killian could already tell what Watts was about to say. He sighed and he pinched his brow.

“Lemme guess – Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna?” Killian asked.

“And Winter Schnee.” Watts added.

“Oh yeah.” Killian nodded, since he totally forgot about her.

“I wonder if there is a correlation?” Watts assumed.

“Of course there is. It is the same thing that happened to Team S.T.R.Q twenty years ago with Summer Rose. It tore them apart, even before Raven ran away.” Killian explained, he may not have the many whispers that Watts has the access to, but Killian has a fantastic memory. “He wants to tear them apart and they will walk right into their trap.”

“Then let him. Take the other halves of their teams and the Schnee Specialist with you, end of the day they know the Rogues better than you do. And if they refuse to listen to reason and sign the Consensus, then we can kill too birds with one stone.” Watts explained to him and Killian chuckled.

“I highly doubt Jaune’s side of things will stay allied with us if I have his friends killed.” Killian stated.

“Then you won’t, if they won’t follow protocol then Jackdaw will kill both sides of the same coin. Either way – two birds one stone. Nobody will be around to call witness.” Watts explained and Killian sighed, and he pinched his brow.

“There has been enough death…all those Investigators Ozpin sent after me still linger in my mind.” Killian stated and Watts chuckled rather sinisterly.

“Our Queen wished to protect her investments. You should be thanking her, Tyrian and Hazel did a marvellous job cutting those loose ends for you.” Watts explained to him.

“Then I guess it’s a shame that I wanted there to be…oh wait what was it? Oh yes, as little bloodshed as possible?” Killian questioned.

“Sixteen Investigators and Journalists snooping around in business that meant nothing to them opposed to the lives of hundreds of thousands? Maybe millions?” Watts asked him and he chuckled when Killian fell silent. “Recruit the other half of the Rogue Teams in your expedition to Vacuo and in your hunt for Jackdaw and the Rogues. This is the best path you can take…and remember, if you do not have the Academies under your control by the end of the Summer – we will initiate the Inhumane Necessity.” Watts repeated before he ended the war.

Every single time he mentioned this thing…

…the Inhumane Necessity.

Killian knew exactly what that Necessity was, and it terrified him.

On the other end of the call, Watts hung up the scroll and he set it down on the table and he sighed and leant back into the table. “These eight students are always involved in some way, aren’t they old friend?” Salem asked him, and he turned to see her stood at the window, as she looked out across the scarred Sanctum. Massive purple crystals stood and almost punctured the clouds.

“So it seems…” Watts agreed.

“We should send Tyrian and Hazel after them, on both sides – to make sure that they do not survive.” Salem explained.

“Hazel has allies in the White Fang, we can use him to help Adam break out of his Cell in their Headquarters.” Watts stated as he stood up from his seat and walked around the table. “And Tyrian is one of your best trackers, he will easily be able to locate them.”

“Your little birds…what else have they been chirping?” Salem inquired curiously.

“They have been uncovering the secrets of the many Kingdoms on the planet, Your Grace. We shall be able to infiltrate them and retrieve the Sword and the Lamp with ease soon.” Watts promised.

“So long as Killian manages to keep his end of the bargain.” Salem stated.

“If I may, your Grace – may I speak freely?” He asked, and Salem turned and she nodded her head.

“You may.” She agreed.

“I believe Killian is right, Ma’am. Jackdaw Branwen is too dangerous for us all to handle, he does not think and all he does is what he wants. I fear he will betray us.” Watts explained and Salem nodded her head.

“I agree…but until then he is a powerful ally to have. And I promised him he would be able to get what he wants.”

“Is it possible?”

“Is what possible?”

“What he wants? To beat his own semblance? I mean…Qrow has never been able to do such a thing and neither has his sister of Valravn. They are cursed…is it really possible for him to get what he desires?” Watts inquired to her. Salem thought on this, she has existed for a very long time and has learned the ins and outs of semblances and aura.

It was a good question.

“We shall see…Jackdaw Branwen has survived odds that should have ended him, and is driven by blood. And truth. Maybe he can, maybe he can’t. As long as he assists us on our quest then he can do whatever he wishes.” Salem explained as she looked at Watts and he nodded his head.

Watts turned and he went to walk away. “I shall return to my work, Your Grace. I am close to perfecting it soon.” He promised and she nodded her head.

“Good.”

 

**Jaune**

He and Pyrrha both were sat at a table, with Houses built from Cards forged on both sides, and they were getting close to the top as they challenged one another. Pyrrha set hers near her chimney and she squeaked with joy since she did not topple it over. But as soon as Jaune went to do it, the cards collapsed with a cataclysmic slumping thud. He stared at it and he pushed his hands into his blonde hair with defeat. “Nooooo!” He cried out with anguish as he leant back into his chair and Pyrrha giggled, as she performed an adorable little dance before him, where she wiggled her slim body with great ease.

“Yes! I did it!” She squeaked with happiness as she danced away her victory, but as she danced, Jaune’s defeat started to dawn on him as he sat there.

“My house of cards has collapsed…again…” He sighed with anguish and Pyrrha slowed down, and she knew what he was getting at. He has not stopped thinking about Ren and Nora since they left them. There were so many things in the back of their mind that hurt their hearts, the most painful part of it was the fact that they went against them behind their backs. After everything they have been through, they did not trust them enough with this information.

“Jaune…are you okay?” She asked with worry.

“I…I dunno Pyr…I thought I could stop thinking about it but I can’t.” He softly said to her.

Pyrrha sat down next to him and she caressed his cheek affectionately so then he would turn to look at him. “Jaune…it’ll be fine.” Pyrrha promised, when the door suddenly opened and they turned to see Weiss stood there, the look of concern was ever present in her eyes.

“Guys…Killian is here. He wants to speak with us all.” Weiss said to them and they looked at one another before they got up from the table. As they walked away from the table, Pyrrha’s House of Cards collapsed behind her as soon as the door slammed shut. They followed Weiss down the hallway and into the Dorm Room which belonged to Team R.W.B.Y, to see Killian indeed sat down inside in the centre of the carpeted floor with a chair beneath him.

He always had this presence about him, one that sent shivers down their spines as soon as they saw him. Or maybe it was the Mysterious Stockholm Troopers. Men and Women turned into soldiers from mental torment, who believed the Black Gallows to be their saviours. To be the ones that helped them see the light in the darkness.

A darkness that they trapped them in, and a light that they shone.

All of it is a fiction, a fiction that has corrupted some of the brightest souls.

Everyone was congregated inside of Team R.W.B.Y’s Dormitory, with Sun and Neptune here as well, they stood by their girlfriends to keep them comforted despite the unnerving presence of the Black Gallows. “Thank you for coming, I apologise for this being on such short notice.” Killian said to them and they all stared at him. He knew that they did not trust him as far as they could throw him, but he did not care, and they needed to listen to what he had to say to them.

“You’re not sorry, what do you want?” Weiss questioned rather sternly and one of the soldiers tightened his grip on his rifle as he stepped forward. But Weiss just gave the soldier a glare, he may be a well trained soldier, but he would not stand a chance against the Schnee Heiress, especially with her older and far more skilled Older Sister in the same room as her.

“Straight to the point as always. Well, fair enough.” Killian said, and he pushed himself from the chair. The very motion made Jaune step back and slightly move his hand towards the sheathed Crocea Mors as if he was gonna ram the blade straight through Killian. But he knew that if he did that, chaos would ensue. So many people see him as a hero, and they have no real evidence other than their word behind what he did to take him down.

And even if they did…

…they would be in serious danger.

Killian walked around the room and he slid his fingers across Ruby’s table. “A contact of mine has informed me that Jackdaw Branwen has been seen in Vacuo, speaking with a woman named Lil Miss Malachite. I believe your friend Yang Xiao Long had met her daughters a few years back.” Killian explained as he stood there and Blake narrowed her eyes as she looked at her boyfriend.

“Why’re you telling us this? We can’t leave the Academy without Jackdaw’s Bombs exploding.” Blake questioned.

“Well – that is the second part of the news. My men were monitoring his explosives, hoping we could find a safe way to disarm them. We can’t sadly, however they noticed something new. We found that the names of people that can pass include those who have left. And now…all of your names – except for Mr Wukong and Vasillias.” Killian revealed and their eyes widen, and Killian could tell that they figured it out for themselves fast.

“It’s a trap.” Weiss said.

“Most likely.” Winter agreed with her sister.

“Perhaps, but when it comes down to tracking your friends, you would be the best people to have at our side. You know them better than I ever could, and you would know their most likely move. They are with Raven Branwen now, that much is certain, meaning they must be with the Branwen Tribe.” Killian explained to them all and Pyrrha’s eyes widen.

“They…are with criminals?” Pyrrha questioned.

“It seems probable.” Killian stated.

“Let’s just hope they haven’t joined them.” Winter said to them all and they all fell silent, and Killian huffed a sigh.

“Look I am not stupid, I understand your reservations on this plan. Jackdaw is a very smart man and he knows exactly how to play the game of warfare. Divide and Conqueror, that is precisely what is happening here. But sadly he has the cards, we need to deal against him, find a better hand along the way. You know your friends, we can take down two birds with one stone. Bring back your friends, and take down Jackdaw.” Killian explained to him, and he used the same words that Watts used.

Just in a very different way.

“If we go with you…if we go after our friends…we do not kill them.” Jaune demanded and Killian looked right back.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself. The Bandits that could be with them though…I will not show the same mercy. End of the day they are dangerous criminals. Ruby Rose and her band of rogues still have a chance to turn back, and if they do I will let them back. They will be punished accordingly.” Killian explained to them all.

“Punished? What will such a punishment entail?” Pyrrha inquired.

“If they returned now after we explained the situation…a fine and some time confined to the Academy. Luckily for them…the whole Academy has been confined anyway.” Killian chuckled at the irony.

The others however did not laugh, they just sighed and wanted this whole ordeal to be over.

“So…will you help me find your friends? Before Jackdaw Branwen lures them into a trap?” He asked them, and their eyes widened when they heard him say his full name for the first time. They all stared at him with shock.

“Branwen?” Weiss gasped.

“If you help me…I will tell you all about the Branwens and what happened.” He promised, even though he only knew as much as Qrow, Raven and Taiyang. They all look at one another and they stammered.

“We will not lose anyone else.” Jaune said and they all nodded at each other and Killian nodded back.

“Then report to the rooftop of this building, we have two Wasps ready for take-off.” Killian said to them and he walked out of the room.

They did exactly that, as soon as all their essentials were packed they headed up to the rooftop of the building and they all started to enter the two jet black vehicles known as Wasps. They climbed inside but Weiss and Blake said their goodbyes to Neptune and Sun. Weiss held his hands and she kissed him lovingly. “I’ll be back soon…keep the Academy in one place for me, please?” She asked him, and Neptune chuckled.

“No promises.” He joked and that made her laugh, before they pulled each other close into a warm kiss.

Blake and Sun held each other and they looked into one another’s eyes. Cardin walked up the stairs and he stared at them with disbelief. He did not know that they were able to leave, and he saw Sun give Blake his golden necklace and he put it around her neck. “Come back…I’m gonna want that back.” Sun joked with a smile and she giggled, and she pulled him to her lips and she softly sighed with love in his embrace. As they broke their kiss she pressed her head to his as she turned away from him and got aboard the Wasp. It lifted up into the air and Cardin stormed out to Sun and Neptune.

“Sun!” He yelled, but the two Wasps soared away from the building and swiftly headed to the boarders. The two of them watched it fade away.

Cardin looked at them with fear. “Oh shit…what did you do?” He asked them.

The two of them turned and looked at Cardin.

And the bombs never detonated.

Jackdaw and Watts were not lying.

And now the hunt begins.

 

 


	12. The Hunt Begins

**Ruby**

From Vale to Mistral to Vacuo, their journey has already taken them to many places they had never been to before. But they never expected the heat of Vacuo’s Climate to be as piercingly hot as it truly was. They felt their skin turn tight and dry as the scorching sun burned across the landscape.

Ruby emerged from the glowing red portal of which that Raven opened, and her silver eyes were wide with awe when she saw the city. It was totally unlike Vale, the buildings were forged from whatever they could find. Wood, rusted metal, plastic and trash by the looks of things. “I heard the people of Vacuo were suffering, I didn’t think it was this bad.” Eryka admitted as she stood beside them as everyone emerged.

“Valravn…Valravn…Valravn.” The whispers continued around them as the Elder Branwen emerged with them, he walked with the chimes of his staff clinking together, he stared through the eyes of the Raven Skull Shaped Helmet he wore, his red eyes stared directly at Ruby. It truly sent shivers up her spine when she saw the way he glared at her, she could tell that he and the rest of the Branwen Tribe were not overly fond of the Silver Eyed Warriors. It may have been why Raven never wanted to risk being near Taiyang and the rest of her team, in fear of Valravn ordering their assassination perhaps. Valravn Branwen may have been on their side at this moment but none of them were foolish enough to trust him. Any man that hid behind a helmet and had whispering voices projected from his very person into the minds of those around him…is bound to be suspicious.

Valravn walked ahead and he did not even say a word, he just kept moving, the crowds parted to let them pass. They all could see them touch their temples in pain from the powerful voices that burrowed into their minds like termites. Yang stayed close to her sister, Nora to Ren. Raven and Qrow walked side by side, whereas Cinder was wearing a hood over her head. End of the day there was still quite a hefty price on her head for everything that had happened, and she walked by her friends – Vernal and Oscar.

“How can people live like this? It smells terrible.” Ruby groaned, which showed her privilege of being born and living in such a fortunate Kingdom. Raven turned to Ruby and she explained why.

“Vacuo was not as lucky as the other Kingdoms when it was founded, Ruby. Vacuo once had massive trees everywhere, it was actually quite a Tropical Desert once.” Raven explained to her, and they all looked around with disbelief of her words. To imagine this wasteland of sand, scorched and burned under the gaze of their sun…it seemed impossible to imagine trees and life here.

“What happened?” Nora inquired as she walked beside Ren who looked at the different kinds of people around here. To think that Sun came from here was also hard to imagine, because most of the people here seemed so miserable. Sunburnt and bruised, thin and starving or dehydrated…or both.

“Industry happened. Vacuo is one of the largest providers of the Weapon and Building Trade, or at least it used to be. Atlas stole that honour recently, now Vacuo’s main trade is Dust Mining. But when it was built, the colonists tore down every single tree they could find. They built lots of buildings, traded it all with other Kingdoms for supplies. Water mostly, since the nearest source of Water…well it was too far from where they settled the Kingdom.” Qrow explained to them all as they walked past the beggars, they had to push past the different kinds of souls one by one. Human and Faunus, but as they went through they found something else – a Human was tending to a bunch of Faunus Children. She had food and water, and she looked like she needed it as badly as they did, and yet she gave it all to them with a smile on her face.

Even the effects of the White Fang fighting the Black Smog could be seen in Vacuo, many places had started to accept Faunus and fought for their rights harder than they had ever seen before.

“Eventually the environment suffered the consequences of the Colonists and their raping of the land, and the environment just could not recover. So the Sun dried out the riverbeds, and plants struggled to grow, and in time the place became nothing more than a Desert. There were Deserts around the Tropical Area…but now…it’s just a wasteland.” Raven explained as she walked with them, and Ruby looked around, she could see the massive Sand Dunes in the distance. It only gave her chills to imagine what monsters could be lurking beyond those Dunes.

The city was built inside of a huge Caldera, with one source of Water in the very centre, a huge lagoon in fact. The city was built into the walls and the ground of the sandstone Caldera with multiple bridges spanned out across the area. Vacuo seemed much smaller than they imagined, they expected this vast city built atop the dunes, but in fact it looked more like a Slum-City. When looking at Sun, they imagined this crazy and awesome place where people were practically shirtless, ripped and epic warriors. But everyone they saw were weak, and were dying.

“I expected it to be…I dunno…wealthier than this.” Ren admitted as he walked along and Vernal nodded her head.

“It was…once.” Vernal admitted, and they looked at her. They could tell she was born in Vacuo, she had the tattoos and the physique. Similar to Sun her clothing was indeed quite revealing and she had shorter hair than the others, almost shaven completely in fact. She also looked more at home here than any of them.

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked her curiously and Eryka looked back at her as Dulcis landed back onto her shoulder.

“Well, a few years ago the Vacuo Mafia were still around. They took it upon themselves to run the city, since the Councillors here had been doing such a bad job of it themselves. They used their skills, their wide reaching men and women to start using their income to help the city recover from the Great War. End of the day it was bankrupted by the Atlesians and the Valerians, there’s a reason why they hate the two Kingdoms so much.” Vernal explained as she walked with them and told the story. “I was once part of them, when I was a kid anyway.”

“You were?” Yang asked her, and she nodded her head.

“I wasn’t much, just one of their beggars. It was one of the ways they made money, they fed off the kindness of travellers. We also provided them with whispers, stories of the people that came here. People they could make business deals with, or can assassinate if they were a threat to the city and it’s future.” Vernal explained to them all and Raven nodded her head as she looked at the Beggars. It was clear that their duty was still present, but now they served someone else. They all glanced at them every now and then, and they watched their pockets.

“Who were they to decide?” Ren questioned with resentment.

“The only ones who could, that’s what happens when the people have to rely on a Mafia to keep them safe. Especially when the Council won’t do it for them.” Vernal scoffed.

“What happened to them?” Ruby asked, and Vernal stopped and she slid her hand across the tent to pick up the sand and she held it up. The grains fell through her fingers as she sighed, and closed her eyes.

“What always happens.” She told them and turned. “Other Gangs started to want the power that they had, even though they used it for good. These ones however did not have the same plans. They buried most of them, ignited a few Gang Wars and won every single one. But one of them…was a bigger threat than they could have ever imagined.” Vernal explained and they kept walking through the Slums, and as they turned they saw the scars of these Gang Wars. Homes still left destroyed after the fall of the Mafia, bridges with the faded graffiti that marked the names of countless Gangs…all but two were gone and forgotten.

“The Vasillias Cartel.” Valravn finally spoke, his voice was still just as coarse as always as he walked atop those stilted legs of his. They looked at him, and they all looked at Eryka.

“Not many people know about Eryka’s relation to them, only us.” Vernal told them all, which made them raise brows with worry.

“Why?” Ruby asked.

“Have you seen some of the thugs we have in our payroll?” Cinder asked them, the four of them glared at the Fall Maiden who also finally raised her voice after this whole talk. “They’re grunts, and many of them despise that name, they fear it. If they knew that Eryka was related to them in any way…how do you think they would react? To learning that the daughter of the Queen of the Cartel was amongst them?” Cinder asked them, and despite how much they hated her, she had a very good point. They could not risk the others knowing, only those that Raven could trust.

“We won’t say a word.” Ruby promised and Eryka smiled.

“Thanks, Ruby.” Eryka said, she ruffled her hand gently.

“What did the Vasillias Cartel do? We knew they destroyed the Vacuo Mafia, but I wasn’t sure of how they managed it. Nobody could ever beat the Vacuo Mafia before, how did they manage it?” Ren asked, he may have hated the Criminal Underworld with a passion, but he still heard stories about them all.

“My mother is a smart woman, she knew that attacking them in a full scale attack like the other Gangs tried would never work. They were almost as skilled as a Well Trained Military, like Atlas. They had Huntsmen and Huntresses from Vacuo under their payroll as well. She needed to use a more…precise method.” Eryka explained and she shuddered.

“Like a Scalpel.” Raven added as she walked with them.

“What do you mean?” Yang asked them.

“She set up a Deal, to cease all hostilities with one another and forge an alliance. They all met and the Leaders of the Mafia all came together. But Lavinia – she never did like working with others. She also snuck her assassins into their home, and they massacred them inside their walls. Stabbed them to death, cut their throats, fed them to hounds.” Eryka explained and their eyes widened with horror at her story. “I was only a kid when it happened, and Neptune was too young to understand. When I heard them come home and I saw her cleaning the blood from her hands after she murdered them…I took Neptune and we ran.” Eryka explained, and they could understand why.

Lavinia Vasillias sounded like a very scary woman, one who would stop at nothing to get what she desired.

The Entire Criminal Underworld, under her control.

“Now the Vacuo Mafia are gone from the city, and you can see the after effects. Unemployment has gone up more than ever, crime reigns and Vacuo’s Debt has become completely unpayable. I don’t think the Kingdom is long for this world.” Raven explained as she walked with them. They kept moving through the dying Kingdom, they saw children being bullied and nobody would help, store fronts that were robbed. “Gangs fight each other constantly now, different symbols everywhere. But the Spiders are the only ones left that are still Organised in some way, they were around when the Mafia were.”

“The Spiders. Information Brokers.” Qrow scoffed.

“Information can be extremely profitable if you know how to use it, Lil Miss Malachite is no such exception.” Raven stopped and she turned to the four of them. “I need you to listen to me when I say this – when we meet with Lil Miss Malachite – be careful with what you say. I know her, she is dangerous, she will use phrases to learn about you. With a bounty on your head she may even try and turn you four in – so be careful. Keep your eyes peeled, she cannot be trusted.” Raven stated, and they all nodded their heads. They felt the pain in their hearts of worry.

They had come to a very dangerous place – a Spider’s Web.

Ruby rubbed her neck as she felt the searing heat of the sun upon her thin pale skin, and she glanced to her big sister. She smiled and she put her arm around her, and Ruby pulled her hood up just in case. They did not forget what Vernal said about the Beggars, they had indeed come to a dangerous place. But they insisted on coming with them, so they had to be careful if they were to survive.

As Ruby walked along, she saw a little girl walk towards her. She was tiny, could not be any older than six years old, with short dirty blonde hair and large green eyes. She looked up at her and she sniffled, she looked like she had been thrown into the dirt mere minutes ago. Ruby’s kind heart flourished and she crouched down to the girl. “Hello…are you okay?” She asked her curiously and she sniffled.

“I’m…I’m hungry…” She whimpered, and Ruby smiled as she pulled out her purse from her bag and she gave her a Lien out of kindness. Raven stopped when she heard the four of them kindly speaking to the kid and her eyes widen.

“Here you go.” Ruby said.

“Ruby STOP!” Raven yelled, when suddenly a boy ran into her and knocked her into the dirt. Yang, Ren and Nora got struck in the head by the same clubs, which stunned them for long enough so then the boy could steal their bags.

“Run!” The boys yelled as they fled, and Ruby looked at where the girl was, only to see she had run away. She was a decoy so then these thieves could take their money. Ruby grit her teeth and she turned, and stared at the three boys who were running off, one of which had two bags on them. Eryka whistled and Dulcis took off after them, whilst the victims of these thieves pursued them as well.

“Get back here!” Ruby yelled with frustration as they barged through the crowds of people. One of the boys grabbed an elderly woman and pushed her in front of their path, but luckily Ruby managed to burst into Rose Petals in order to move past her without knocking her over. Ren jumped up and he started to run across the rooftops of the slums after he spotted one of the teenage boys clamber up there. The boy looked back as the Kuroyurian came after him, and he leapt across the gaps between buildings one at a time. The boy was skilled at his parkour, he managed to move fast, but Ren was better. He jumped and he hooked Stormflower onto a long power line, and he jumped off just in time before he could have been electrocuted. Ren slammed down onto slanted roof behind the boy and he threw Stormflower towards him, and the blade pinned his shirt to the rooftop.

He hung off the edge and Ren approached him and stared at the boy with his hand extended, the boy reached for his hand desperately. “The bag.” Ren stated and the boy whimpered and Ren raised an eyebrow, so the boy just threw the bag up to him, and he caught it. Ren then pulled him back up and pulled his pistol from where the blade had him pinned.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” He cried out with relief.

“Next time, just ask for Lien.” Ren scoffed, as he shoved a couple Lien Cards into his hands, since he knew that they did this merely out of desperation. He turned and he saw Ruby and Yang side by side as they went after the thief that took their bags as well. Whilst Nora suddenly jumped up into the air with a cheer, the boy writhed around as she held him in her hand by the collar. She and him landed down onto the roof next to Ren and the other boy.

“Whaddya say, Ren? Shall we break his legs?” The crazed Nora Valkyrie asked and the boy screamed in terror as he held his legs.

“PLEASE NO! I don’t wanna have broken legs!” The boy screamed out and Ren chuckled, since this was Nora essentially warning him.

“Maybe you’ll have to.” He played the game with her and he screamed with terror, pulled the bag from his shoulder and he pushed it to Nora with fear.

“OKAY! Okay!” He cried out, and he whimpered like a child. “I’m sorry…” He whimpered.

Nora smiled brightly as she picked up her bag and collapsed Magnhild into its Grenade Launcher form and she attached it to the magnetic strips she had built into the spine of her outfit. “Oh. Okay then, thank you.” Nora squeaked as she slung her bag over her shoulder and she walked off with Ren. “That was easy.” She gleefully said.

“As always.” Ren chuckled.

Then she sighed sadly. “But I didn’t get to break his legs.” She sighed, and Ren glanced back at the boys.

“Next time they steal some random person’s bag…he best pray we aren’t nearby.” Ren stated, and Nora smirked almost madly at them, which would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Ruby and Yang were both still on the boy that took their bags, he was by far the biggest of them, and also the fastest. He moved with great speed across the rooftops and he jumped across one and fell towards the lower one. Until suddenly Dulcis swooped in from out of nowhere and caught him by his shoulders. The huge Altum Eagle carried the screaming boy high up in the air whilst Ruby and Yang jumped down into the street to see Eryka at the bottom. “How long till he hits the ground?” Eryka betted.

“Uh…five seconds?” Ruby guessed.

“Nah, probably seven.” Yang said.

“What say you, dickwad? How long to you go splat?” She asked him and she could not even hear his crying words from all the way up there. “Guess we’ll find out.” She whistled and the huge Eagle released the screaming boy. He came plummeting down towards the ground with great speed, about to be splattered across the road.

_One…two…three…four…five_

Dulcis caught him again, after diving down and he dug his talons into his shoulders once more. He stopped right in front of the ground and Ruby cheered. “Yes! I was right!” She danced on the spot and Yang sighed. The boy was still screaming even though he was completely safe from harm. Raven, Qrow, Valravn, Cinder and Vernal arrived with Oscar at the back. Nora and Ren showed up eventually too as they looked at the thief that she caught.

“Oh shut up already.” Eryka whistled again and Dulcis dropped him onto the road, whilst Ruby and Yang snatched their bags back, and Yang gave Ruby three Lien Cards for winning their little bet. The boy tried to crawl back but Raven walked towards him and she slammed her knee down onto his chest as she tilted her head. Cinder walked over and she stood next to her with her hood up still.

“Who do you work for?” Raven questioned and the boy scoffed.

“Huh? No one! Why would I be stealing if I worked for someone?” He strained as Raven started to push harder and harder onto his chest.

“Ouch…wrong answer. Cinder, you think you can convince him to tell us the truth?” Raven asked curiously. The Fall Maiden smirked as her amber eye ignited and a flame crackled across her hand.

“Oh…hell yeah.” Cinder assured with a smirk as she went to torture him.

Ruby and Yang went to stop her, but then they realised it was all essentially just a scare tactic. “Okay! Okay! I work for Lil Miss Malachite…we gather information for her, and steal her marked target’s belongings…” She stammered and Cinder looked at Raven.

“Why the hell does Malachite have those four targeted?” Raven questioned, she already knew the answer, she just wanted to make sure the little turd wasn’t lying.

“They’ve got bounties on their head…rogues from Beacon…” The boy whimpered and Cinder scoffed.

“Killian works fast.” She said.

“Yeah, he does.” Raven agreed, then she took her knee off his chest and she grabbed him by his arm and lifted him up. “Take us to your boss. I’d like to have a chat with her.”

“O-Okay…” He whimpered and Cinder shoved him forward whilst Vernal and Oscar followed her. Raven looked back at Yang and Ruby and she approached them.

“Everything still in the bags?” She asked her daughter and Ruby.

“Yeah.” Yang said, before she just walked straight past her mother.

They followed the boy through the Slums and they found her home. It was impressive – in comparison to the rest of the slums – it was a Mansion Sized house that was made from the same materials as the slums, alongside using old rusted out cars to help make the place larger. They could feel the music, let alone hear it, and the flashing lights could be seen as well. “Lil Miss Malachite does like her parties. Don’t drink anything.” Raven said to all of them, and Qrow chuckled.

“Yeah…I remember.” Qrow agreed as he followed his sister inside. They pushed the doors open and they entered, there were tables scattered in different places with thugs all sat inside talking. All of them had the Spider Tattoos and every single one of them were armed to the teeth. There were pretty girls that danced away as well, they wore very little and had some tattoos on their nether regions. They could hear the laughing from other rooms and even moaning in some. The younger ones felt uncomfortable in here, but they had just heard and seen the many ways in which people had to make money in Vacuo. Some had to sell their bodies to pleasure houses, some of them became talented Pole Dancers or you became Thugs for Hire.

Vacuo was a hard place to live in, if you couldn’t adapt, you couldn’t survive.

Yang walked past some of the people who were in here and she had been to Nightclubs like this in the past, like Junior’s. “Man…and I thought Junior’s was a dump.” Yang scoffed as she walked through and saw some of the rusted cars that were being used as walls. She could only imagine how unsanitary it must have been. But as they kept walking through the nightclub, as they smelt the odour of booze in the air and the overlapped voices, things started to get cleaner the higher up they got. As they walked up the stairs, they saw more of the Hookers around the area, all with black hair and the tattoo on their necks. “Hey handsome…” One of the women cooed to Oscar as she touched his cheek with her hand.

“Careful Oscar, Malachite’s Hookers aren’t just Hookers.” Vernal assured and he raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“People say some interesting things when they’re happy.” Vernal hinted as she kept walking, and as Oscar looked at her…he saw a scarred mark on her neck. His eyes widened, but he did not ask…but he knew he would have to. It was in the same place as the Hooker’s, and her hair was the same colour though.

_Did Vernal work as a Prostitute for Lil Miss Malachite?_

They were about find out, as the boy finally brought them to her. “Lil Miss…”

She was stood at her comfortable sofa with her cigarette in her fingers, and she did not even need to turn to know who was stood there. “Hello, Raven Branwen. I must say it was interesting to see your face in my neck of the woods.” Lil Miss Malachite greeted as she blew out the smoke. “And I see you brought back my beautiful little Flower.” She said.

Ruby shrunk with fear. “Hello, Vernal.” Lil Miss caught Ruby by surprise when she said her name, and they looked at her. Vernal stared at Lil Miss Malachite and she crossed her arms.

“Lil Miss…been a while.” She said.

“Indeed it has been. I see you’ve done quite well for yourself, considering how you arrived into Raven’s Band.” She said with a smirk on her face. Qrow looked at Vernal and Raven before he looked back at the Information Broker. “Oh…I see some of you don’t know. Well allow me to tell you all the story…quite the gripping tale.” She began and Vernal looked down at the floor with a sigh.

As if she were ashamed of it.

“When Vernal was a little girl she worked as a cute beggar like the one that you encountered in my service, except she worked for the Vacuo Mafia. She was good, she was very good. But after the Mafia went bust, I was intrigued by her, so I recruited her. She gave me very valuable intel as well.” Lil Miss Malachite explained. “But…when she was eighteen…and she started to mature, I saw her beauty. I gave her an opportunity for more Lien – as a Prostitute.” She revealed and Oscar’s eyes widened when he realised he was right. Eryka looked at Vernal and saw her scratch the scarred mark where she must have burned the Spider Tattoo away. “And my, my…she was very good. We got some of my best contracts thanks to how good she was. Men and Women…they tend to say some funny things when they’re happy.” She said, which mirrored what Vernal said literally moments prior.

Vernal could not even look at her old boss. “Well, until one of Raven’s Bandits bought her, and stole her from me. And yet you managed to work you way from being Raven’s Prisoner…to her Right Hand. An impressive tale.” Lil Miss Malachite flaunted, for she knew all of that thanks to the little whispers she gathered from her many followers across the Globe.

“Thank you, Lil Miss. I wanted to forget ever working for you, and now all those bad memories are flooding back in. Bravo.” Vernal scoffed as she held out her arms and rolled her large eyes.

“Have you brought back my little beauty? I’m sure plenty of men and women around here would pay big money for her time.” Lil Miss Malachite asked them.

“She isn’t yours anymore. She is free to do what she wishes.” Raven stated.

“Really? So if she wished to pack up and leave, you’d let her?” She asked her.

“Hell I’d make sure she had a home and help her get it.” Raven stated, and Vernal’s heart warmed when she heard that. Raven had always been very kind to her, ever since she let her free from her cell.

“Aren’t you the merciful one?” Lil Miss chuckled, until she heard the whispers in her head, and the others did as well.

“Valravn…Valravn…”

Lil Miss stared at the much taller man amongst them with his Tribal Cane still in his grasp, and the stilts shrunk down so then he was nowhere near as huge as normal. The chimes only clinked whenever he moved. “My, my…Valravn Branwen. I’ve heard tales about you.” She then turned to everyone and she named and described every single one of them.

“Raven Branwen: Born in the Tribe with her little brother Qrow Branwen and Jackdaw Branwen, raised by their parents and their dear Uncle Valravn. Raven Branwen fell in love with Taiyang Xiao Long and had a child, only to abandon the child for her own self interests.” Lil Miss Malachite described, and Raven hung her head sadly.

“Qrow Branwen: A Man of Poor Luck, spy for Professor Ozpin and the one allegedly held responsible for the death of Jackdaw Branwen’s team. Was once madly in love with the late Summer Rose…and I surmise…you still are.” She said as she stared at him, able to remember all these things like she read them yesterday.

“Eryka Vasillias: taken in by the Branwen Tribe after her failure at becoming a Huntress and after the potential seen in her skill as a bare knuckled boxer. Bonded with an Altum Eagle named Dulcis in the Summit’s Claim, the one location my spies have no intel on…other than it is where Altum Eagle Huntresses and Huntsmen are trained.”

“Oscar Pine: Aged Nineteen, found his Aunt and Uncle brutally murdered by Jackdaw Branwen and was taken in by his sister moments later, to be trained into becoming a skilled warrior and murderer.”

Her eyes now turned and faced the five they were trying to hide – which included Cinder. “Cinder Fall: Wanted by every single Kingdom for the attack on Beacon Academy four years ago, taken in by Raven Branwen and trained to fight for their freedom with the power of her Fall Maiden abilities. Raised by a family who despised her and abused her, left the family after she killed them all with a broken Glass Slipper, before being taken in by Salem of course.”

“Alright we get it.” Yang interrupted, but then Lil Miss Malachite stared directly at the four of them. The music continued to play around them as the four confronted Malachite.

“Well, well…the fly has flown into the Spider’s Web.” She said to them.

“How can you possibly remember all that?” Ruby questioned.

“I unlocked my semblance a very long time ago, it allowed me to remember everything as clear as day. Came in handy when I wanted to become an Information Broker. Might not help in combat…but when you have an Empire…who needs to?” She asked as she sat down by her delicious looking dessert. “Knowledge is Power.” She reminded.

“There’s the old Malachite Motto…” Vernal scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

“You…” The familiar voice spoke, and Yang turned and her eyes widened. Militia and Melanie Malachite emerged from one of the private rooms with a bunch of Malachite’s Prostitutes giggling as they ran out. They walked out and stared at Yang with their weapons at the ready.

“Oh great…you two?” She scoffed.

“My daughters did indeed inform me about your hustle at Hei Xiong’s Club. Though sadly we are not here for fighting, are we?” Lil Miss Malachite asked them curiously.

“No, we’re not.” Raven agreed as she stood in front of the four of them. “I know Jackdaw came here for information. I want to know what he wanted, and where he was heading.”

“What makes you think I know his whereabouts?” She asked her and Raven just raised a brow at her. “Alright…I can provide you with what you desire…but first I need something.”

“We can pay.” Raven assured.

“Oh please, look around you. I have enough Lien to by myself an army…no…there is something else I desire. Something that won’t cost you a penny.” Lil Miss Malachite explained to her, and Raven crossed her arms with intrigue.

“And that is?” Raven asked.

“Hearthstone Chateau.” Lil Miss answered, and that caused Raven and Vernal’s eyes to widen with disbelief.

“What? What is it?” Yang asked her mother.

“Hearthstone Chateau is the Manor that the Mafia’s Leaders lived in…and where they died when the Vasillias Cartel wiped them out.” Raven answered and Lil Miss Malachite nodded her head.

“Indeed it is, and as you can see, I am in dire need of a new home to live in. If you can clear the Chateau that the Mafia lived in of Grimm for me, I will give you the information that you desire.” Lil Miss Malachite explained as she ate some of her pudding with her spoon. They all looked at each other and they nodded to Raven.

Raven turned to Lil Miss Malachite and she extended her hand. “Then you have a deal.”

Lil Miss Malachite shook her hand.

 

**Sienna**

On the other side of Vacuo…

…the White Fang have created a secondary Base of Operations. Sienna Khan stood by her throne, still clad in her High Leader clothing and the golden rings in her ears. Her hair was slightly longer and she had less fierceness to her, since things had been going so much smoother for the Faunus. There were still some armed soldiers in there, but many White Fang soldiers did not need to resort to violence anymore…only protection, from the real enemy.

She stood before the hologram of Ghira Belladonna, who was on the other side of the planet at Menagerie. “How have things been going on your end, Ghira?” She asked her old friend.

“Quite well, the new Human Group – the United – have been a massive help over here. They have been providing us with new crops and business opportunities. The S,D.C are still being quiet but they must be feeling the heat.” Ghira explained with a great deal of pride in his voice and she chuckled.

“Yes, I saw some activists from the Unity. Humans who’s goal is specifically to help the Faunus in any way they can. I never thought I would see the day where violence wouldn’t be necessary.” Sienna chuckled as she scratched the back of her neck. “I’m sorry, Ghira…I was wrong to judge your methods.”

“No, you don’t need to apologise. Things were bleak back then, Beacon helped us show the world we don’t want to kill Humans. Only those who want to kill us.” Ghira explained, and she nodded her head in agreement.

“Seeing Humans and Faunus together, working together – it gives me faith. And I am glad to have you with us again. Having a Council for the White Fang is brand new, the Albain Brothers are rather strange though.” She admitted and Ghira nodded his head.

“They are a bit more fanatical, yes. However they know the right people in the right places, they could come in handy.” Ghira shrugged his shoulders and she nodded her head in agreement.

“As long as they can get under the idea of no longer needing to use violence to spread the word, they are fine.” Sienna said as she nodded her head. But as they spoke she could hear the sound of fear in Ghira’s voice. He was trembling and she could see how tense he was through the shimmering blue hologram of him. “Ghira? Are you alright?” She asked him and he blew out a breath.

“I know Blake is alright…it’s just hearing about the attack…Kali is still terrified and so am I.” Ghira stammered.

“Blake will be fine. She survived the Battle of Beacon, both times. She survived this. She will be fine.” Sienna assured.

“I guess you’re right…I just worry about her a lot.” He stated.

“She’s your daughter, and you’re her father. It’s kinda your job to worry about her all the time.” Sienna chuckled.

“I guess so…I’m surprised you haven’t got a kid yet. The way you have managed to command the White Fang, parenting would be easier for you.” He chuckled and she chuckled too, and she scratched the back of her neck again.

“I’ve pondered it…never found the right man though.” She shrugged and he nodded his head.

“Never too late.” He said to her.

“No…I guess it’s not.” She agreed. Ghira turned when he heard the sound of Kali calling for him in the other room. Sounded like she finished making their dinner for the night.

“Well…my wife summons me. I dare not refuse her.” Ghira chuckled and Sienna smiled.

“Especially not Kali. Talk to you soon, old friend.” Sienna said as she bowed her head, and he did the same.

“Hopefully sooner rather than later.” Ghira said, then his holographic image cut away and she blew out a breath and walked over to her throne and sat down.

“Getting old, Sienna…ow…” She groaned as she rubbed her back, being stood up in one place for ages did tend to give her a few back pains after all. She touched her hair as she looked down the newly finished hall that both Humans and Faunus worked together to build. No longer bearing the blood splattered symbol of the Fang that Adam wore, just the blue one that Ghira believed in.

As she looked down the hall, she spotted Ilia walking across the room with a plate and some food on it. Sienna got up and called for her. “Ilia!” She called and Ilia stopped and looked at her High Leader.

“High Leader.” She went to bow but Sienna stopped her.

“Oh don’t be silly, no other soldiers around us. We’re friends.” Sienna reminded and Ilia nervously laughed and nodded her head.

“Oh yeah I’m sorry…old habits, I suppose.” She confessed and Sienna patted her shoulder, and the two of them walked over to a bench and sat down. She set the plate that had a sandwich and she set the glass of orange juice down as well. “I was just taking that to him.”

“I’ll do it, don’t worry. How’s your girlfriend been doing?” Sienna asked her.

“Angel? Yeah…well…yeah…” She awkwardly blushed and smiled, which made Sienna raise a brow.

“Alright, Ilia. Spill it.” Sienna said since she caught on. Ilia held up her hand and revealed the beautiful engagement ring and Sienna’s eyes widened with joy for her.

“She proposed last night…when we went to see the Sunset.” She laughed with happiness.

“Congratulations, Ilia.” Sienna kindly said, she wrapped her up in a warm hug and kissed her cheek respectfully.

“It’s…really weird. I remember after…after I had feelings for Blake and when she didn’t feel the same way…I never thought I would find anyone else.” Ilia chuckled. “Then I met her…just a lonely Eagle Faunus…I think I fell for her as soon as I saw her.” She giggled and Sienna smiled.

“I’m happy for you. You deserve to be happy, you know?” She said to her and Ilia smiled. “Go on, I can’t have you leave her waiting now. Go.” She said to her.

“What about…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll do it. Besides…I’ve been meaning to fill him in on everything that’s happened.” Sienna said and Ilia nodded her head. She then wrapped her arms around Sienna in a kind and gentle hug.

“Thank you Sienna…if it weren’t for you…I don’t think I’d have ever met her.” She said to Sienna, which made the Tigress smile. They released one another and Ilia left the Base to be with her new fiancé. Sienna was alone again…but not entirely.

She took the plate with her into the dungeons and she passed some of the empty cells, since they had never needed to put people in there. Except for one.

She pulled up a chair after she slid his plate underneath the door and into his room. She stared into the darkness of the cell, through the bars.

Then she finally spoke. “It’s been a while since we had one of these talks.” She said to him in the cell. He did not say a word to her, and she scoffed. “I know, you’re not saying a thing. Silence is your virtue, right? But we’ve made some impressive progress with the Faunus Rights, so I thought I’d get you up to speed.” Sienna said to him as she stared at his silhouette in the shadows.

“It’s been four years since we fought with the humans at Beacon, to fend off the Black Smog. We helped them repair the Academy and the city of Vale after you attacked the way you did. Things have been taking shape, we’ve all seen it. It wasn’t that long ago really, when the Faunus and Humans were at each other’s teeth. When you had our people fighting for Roman Torchwick and his impossible war. And look where that thug is now…”

“It’s not like that anymore. We’re building, together. Working on a better future. Together. I have seen out there, Humans have created a group called the Unity, where Human Volunteers help Faunus in any way they can. Building homes, helping them find happiness, providing work. The people have started to become more accepting of us in cities across the world, even in Mistral. Atlas…is getting there…and we will help them too.”

“And do you want to know why it has all been better? It’s because of where you are, we showed that we punish those who try and ruin everything we have worked to create. We punish those just as they would punish their own kind, for breaking the law. Because we do not want to change the world, we do not want to rise above humanity…we just want to live on the same level. And we’re nearly there…that’s why you’re in this cell.”

“You never could see the potential, you only saw through your own hate. But if you could have set that aside, and tried…you would have seen what I saw at Beacon. We fought with the humans, we bled with them, we worked together. Because we all know what the real enemy is…and it is out there. It is in our nature…to work _together_.” Sienna told him.

Then she heard him scoff.

“Do you really believe that?” Adam asked her and she stared at him with narrowed eyes. She could not really make him out in the shadows, but she knew he had grown a beard and he was thinner than he was before. He was wasting away, and yet even after four years…he still has not changed. “Do you seriously think that this ideal world of yours is gonna last?” He asked her curiously.

“It will. I know it will.” Sienna stated.

“You talk of forgiveness…and yet here I am.” Adam softly snarled.

“You know why you’re behind these bars. You cut a teenage girl’s arm from her elbow, you stabbed Blake in the stomach. You’re gonna die behind these bars, just like any other criminal.” Sienna growled as she clenched her hand into a fist.

“I have friends out there in the world…and when they find me…and they will…this peace you have built will go out the window, because I will show you why –”

“Do you ever get tired of thinking your in charge? That you’re this big puffed up badass?” Sienna interrupted.

“Do you?” Adam retorted swiftly and that made her pause.

“All I want is peace, and even after four years…all you want is chaos.” She scoffed with disgust.

“Do you really think that because a bunch of humans decided to help some Faunus kids…all to make themselves look better to the crowds…do you think that it will change a thing? It won’t.” He growled as he stared at her from the darkness. “So when it all falls apart, I hope you come back to tell me about that too.”

“We’re thriving, without you. The Faunus are thriving without you, the White Fang is. Blake – is happy, without you.” Sienna said, and Adam slowly clenched his hand into a fist as he glared at her.

Then…

He leaned into the light, and she saw his face.

His left eye was covered by a horrible brand, scarred onto the eye itself – which spelt S.D.C. The sclera was red from ruptured blood vessels and the pupil turned grey, he could not see through the eye, but he could still see her perfectly. His clothes were old and tattered ones, and his beard as thick over his jaw and mouth, bristles of red hair and dirt covered his face. His nails were withered away too, from the scratches on the wall, it was easy to guess why. “I will kill her…for how she abandoned me…” Adam promised with a growl.

“No…you will rot in this cell…you will die in this cell. When you’re an old man, and you have nothing but regrets of the terrible things you did. So eat your food, and keep on thinking you’re still in charge.” Sienna snarled as she got up from her chair and walked away from his cell.

She could hear him begin to laugh, maniacally from inside of his cell, for he has now completely lost his mind.

Inside his cell, he stared at the wall and continued to scratch with his nail into the stone. The symbol of his White Fang, the Beowulf with the three slashes and the blood…his blood on it. He stared at it and he smiled.

“It’s never over…until all of Humanity is dead.”

“Until Blake screams in agony…and dies…in agony.”

 

 


	13. The Sea of Sand

**Ruby**

It took them a while to get to the location, but eventually they found it.

The Sea of Sand…

At least that was what it looked like, the mirage caused the sand to look like lapping waves of seawater. But even when their minds were not fixated on first they could still see it, or at least until they got closer. They had never seen so much death, so much emptiness, and yet amongst the ocean of sand…they saw the remnants of what once stood here. Ruby walked beside Qrow and they looked around as Oscar walked up behind them on the Sand Dunes. He held his weapon in his grasp as he stared at the destruction with awe.

“By the gods…I heard that they abandoned the old city…but I never expected this.” Qrow said as he stared out at what stood before them.

The bones of the old city, the expansion that was abandoned when so many people left after the water supplies started to run dry. When crops began to fail due to drought, caused by Human Meddling with the landscape. They walked through it all, and they felt it…they heard the echoes of distant children who laughed as they played together in the playgrounds. Yang walked past one and the swing slightly swung back and forth as the wind carried it, Cinder just walked past it all though. Alongside Valravn, who just kept moving, he was like a force of nature, nothing ever seemed to surprise him.

“I know they abandoned it all, but I never imagined it would look like this.” Ruby agreed as she stared at what remained of the once prosperous city of Vacuo. The sand dunes had swallowed up most buildings and they were barely standing as it was. There were a few tall skyscrapers, but many of them had already collapsed. Sandstone was forming around them, and with the lack of Humanity to clean it up, the planet took it upon itself. Wildlife looked like it was starting to return around here, but the real population belonged to the Grimm now.

They could see distant Griffins nested inside of one of the still standing towers, hollowed out one of the floors as they nested there. It was strange, they very rarely ever saw the Grimm with nests, or with offspring. But they had encountered young Grimm before, Blake saw a large group of baby Nevermores escape a building back in Mountain Glenn four years prior. And Grimm had appeared in different sizes in the past.

“How do…Grimm even…make babies?” Nora asked softly, then Vernal chuckled.

“Well…a mommy Grimm and daddy Grimm love each other very much –”

“I KNOW HOW THAT WORKS! But Grimm don’t have organs like we do.” Nora pointed out, and Valravn finally stopped as he walked up one of the dunes, and he looked back at her. His cloak of feathers blew in the wind as he stared down at her.

“Time is not a concept of which a shadow could comprehend, so why should a creature of shadows?” Valravn asked her, and her eye twitched due to his bizarre way of speaking to people.

“Huh?” She asked.

Raven decided to help Nora understand what her Uncle just said. “He basically meant that certain Grimm – when they reach a certain age – will sacrifice their bodies and create Pools of Darkness. They do not fear time like we do, they just decide when it is the right time.” Raven explained, and Nora stared at Valravn.

“Couldn’t you have just said it like that? So much simpler.” Nora scoffed as she crossed her arms. Valravn said nothing, he just glared at her with those burning red eyes in the sockets of his Raven Shaped Skull Helmet.

“Why does he speak in riddles?” Ren asked Raven as he walked next to Nora across the desert. Raven looked at the Kuroyurian and then at her Uncle who kept walking.

“I don’t rightfully know…he’s driven by something, he just wants to save our family. We’re bound by a curse, I know we are…it’s one of the few things that Jackdaw and I have an agreement on. Our family always ends up suffering misfortune one way or another, either we inflict it on others or it happens to us. But we have always been divided…long before we were born.” Raven explained as she walked past some of the old abandoned buildings. Nora looked at one of them and she only saw the darkness inside, grains of sand that flowed through. Nora wiped the sweat from her brow as Ren asked his next question.

“What do you mean by that?” Ren asked.

“Well, our parents were despondent. Our father was abusive and eventually he left us, and our mother died. I soon found out my father died a few years later. Valravn left not long after that, I went to visit him a few times, but he refused to ever come back to the Tribe. Until now.” Raven explained as she looked at her Uncle. In a weird way, he had been a better father to her and her brothers than their real one ever was. And even then, he was not exactly the best role model, but he was always watching over them.

More than their father ever did.

“I know you’re an orphan as well, Ren.” Raven said as she looked at him, and he looked at her.

“Yes…I lost my parents at Kuroyuri, when the Nuckelavee attacked and destroyed the whole place.” Ren explained with sadness ever present in his voice.

“I’m sorry…your mother and father…what were they like?” She asked.

“My mother was loving, she helped people there, loved children and wanted the best for everyone.” Ren explained, and Raven raised a brow.

“And…your father?” Raven asked him. “Was he cruel, like ours?”

“No…he was just…damaged inside. He rarely spoke, and he froze whenever I asked him where he went. I never knew what he did for a living…I think he was a Hunter, and he saw some pretty scary things out there.” Ren explained, they could only imagine what his father – Li Ren – could have possibly seen.

If it was enough to scare him, then it must have been horrifying.

“He died saving me.” Ren told Raven.

“I know, I saw the damage. I knew it was the Kuroyurian Nuckelavee, if I could have been there to help your village I would have.” Raven told him and Ren scoffed.

“Sure…then you would have pillaged us.” Ren said sternly as he kept walking, Nora normally would be worried when Ren showed his anger, but she was in agreement with him. Neither of them liked having to work with Raven Branwen and her Tribe. Raven stared at the two of them and she stopped them.

“I know you don’t trust me, or my Tribe – and I don’t ask you to change your opinion. But I do not want my Tribe attacking innocents, our targets have always been other criminals.” Raven tried to say, but Nora shook her head.

“What about Matsutari?” Nora questioned sternly, and Raven stared at her – she remembered the name like it was yesterday.

“You know about that?” She asked.

“Yeah…Ren and I saw it when we were kids, we were on the road together for a long time after we escaped Kuroyuri. We saw the damage left behind from your Bandit Tribe…I knew people there. Innocent children…I saw them get thrown into wagons, a man being flayed alive, women…” Nora could not bring herself to say what she saw them do, and Raven froze and closed her eyes. Her fist clenched tight and she shook with anger.

“Shay…” She snarled.

“I wasn’t there for long, but I saw enough. You can’t control them can you?” Nora questioned and Raven sighed.

“Have you ever tried to control a fire? Sometimes it works, sometimes it only burns the logs…but sometimes the fire spreads. And no matter how fast you can put the flame out…the damage was already done.” Raven explained as she walked with them, and Ren shook his head at her.

“You think that forgives it? They were innocent, and they were your men…they should respect you.” Ren told her and Raven shook her head.

“Shay is not a man who likes being commanded by a Woman, he never has…he came from another Tribe, and before that he was a killer. The Tribe he was a part of was lead by a man, and they took women like cattle. I had hoped he was a man who would follow orders, but sometimes…I can’t stop him.” Raven explained to the two of them, but neither of them were letting her get off scot free.

“Everyone who died at that village…their blood is on your hands as much as his.” Nora hissed, and the two of them walked ahead of Raven as she slowed down. She stood there in the hot sand and she lowered her head sadly. Yang stared at her mother, and she could see the pain in her heart and in her eyes…she very clearly wanted to control her Grunts, but as she said.

It is not as easy as it seems to control a fire, atop dry grass.

Cinder walked with her hood pulled back now, her short black hair blew in the hot desert wind. As she walked, she turned to see Eryka walk up beside her, her Eagle glided down and landed onto her arm. Cinder glanced at the Eagle but she just stared ahead and sighed. Her determination to stay as unconnected to people was admirable, but sometimes her curiosity would make her want to know more. Eryka looked at the Fall Maiden and she chuckled. “So…Fall Maiden…that’s something, huh?” Eryka asked, but Cinder did not say a word. “Can’t speak? Doesn’t seem practical.”

“Back off, I’m not here to make friends.” Cinder snarled at her, almost like a dog.

“Wow, that’s not very nice.” Eryka sarcastically said to her, which made Cinder roll her eyes. “Why are you always so mean?” Eryka asked curiously to her. “Is it because I’m a Huntress?”

“I don’t hate Hunters.” Cinder said, before she stared at her. “It’s stuck-up bitches with crazy coloured hair…that’s who I hate.”

“So…did you hate Emerald?” Eryka asked her and Cinder rolled her eyes.

“Didn’t like her kiss-ass nature, no. But she was useful, but a friend? Gods no.” Cinder chuckled, whether or not she was telling the truth was anyone’s guess. But Eryka…being Eryka…kept following and talking to her.

“I quite like girls with pretty hair…shows their brave as hell to have their hair in rainbow colours.” Eryka chuckled, which probably meant she tried convincing Winter to change her hair colour once…probably to a vibrant pink. Cinder still though was not enjoying this conversation, and she seemed like a wild dog, growling at her constantly.

“Will you just leave me alone?” She snarled viciously at her.

“Y’know, I once felt like I didn’t want any friends. I stayed alive for a long time…but gods, was I miserable.” Eryka scoffed as she walked with the reluctant Fall Maiden. Cinder stopped and she pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek, and stared at Eryka.

“You trying to sleep with me? That what’s going on her, blue?” Cinder questioned, and she raised a brow suggestively – and sarcastically.

“Do ya?” Eryka playfully bantered, which just made Cinder even more annoyed. If there was one thing that Eryka knew how to do masterfully, it was how to annoy someone to the point of falling to their knees and begging her to stop.

“Nah, rather stick to myself.” Cinder stated, which just gave Eryka more ammunition.

“Just your hand? That’s no fun at all.” She quipped.

“Will you leave me alone?” She begged her.

“Don’t worry, just busting your tits.” Eryka assured, which made Cinder raise a brow in confusion bat hearing a phrase that Eryka must have come up with on the spot. “Already got someone waiting for me…well I hope so. Probably pissed her off, disappearing like I did. But Winter’s a forgiving soul…when she feels like it.” Eryka explained, then Cinder stopped and stared at her.

“Winter Schnee?” She inquired.

“You met her?” Eryka inquired.

“You’re with Winter…Schnee?” She chuckled, since someone like Eryka Vasillias was the last person she expected someone so uptight to fall for.

“Surprised? So was I…”

“How the hell did an annoying bitch like yourself end up with a stuck-up pompous bitch like that?” It took Eryka having to bite her tongue to not get pissed at Cinder for her insulting words towards her girlfriend, but she managed to keep her cool.

“I guess I rubbed off on her.” Eryka shrugged.

“I bet you did.” Cinder replied just as quickly, and she kept walking with them. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she walked.

“I guess the two of us are foils for each other. I may not have her skills but I have the humour. We help each other…that’s why you should have friends.” Eryka stated as she walked beside Cinder, who just rolled her eyes as she walked next to her.

“How the hell has a mad woman like you survived this long?” Cinder questioned. Eryka grinned.

“I’m a damn good shot.” She said as she showed her an arrow, and Cinder stared at it. That at least was something these two had in common, they were both pretty handy with Bows and Arrows. But Cinder just kept walking as Eryka let Dulcis take off once more.

Ruby walked past the two of them, and Vernal approached her. “You’re like a walking clone of her.” Vernal chuckled, and Ruby jolted, turned to see Raven’s Right Hand Woman walking behind her. “And just as jumpy.” It made Vernal laugh to see how sweet such a skilled Huntress was.

“M-My mother? Did you know her?” Ruby asked Vernal as she caught up to the Silver Eyed Girl.

“Not personally, no. But Raven always had stories to tell about her, the shenanigans she would get them to go on.” Vernal explained, Ruby looked at Yang and they both looked at Raven. That sadness they could see was very similar to Qrow’s expression, she very clearly missed Summer, she was a very close friend, maybe her best friend that did not include Taiyang. “She misses her, a lot. She told me stories when I was having drinks with her once, about how Summer would always wake her up in the morning. Suddenly the curtains would open and she would scream _RISE AND SHINE SLEEPYHEAD!_ ” Vernal laughed, which made Ruby giggle as well.

“Really?” She asked.

“Uh-Huh…still wake up early because of her.” Raven chuckled as she approached them as they walked past the destroyed and abandoned buildings.

“I remember those mornings…she had me once blare the loudest music possible because you tried using ear muffs.” Qrow chuckled and Raven laughed too as she nodded her head. Valravn kept walking but he turned his head slightly when he heard both Qrow and Raven laughing. It was a sound he had not heard in a very, very long time. They could not see it, but they was a smile underneath that mask.

“Sounds…familiar, doesn’t it?” Yang asked Ruby and she started poking her fingers together.

“Yeah…Weiss has threatened to beat me to death with a pillow every time I did it.” Ruby softly said, which made Raven chuckle, since it just proved Vernal’s point. Ruby Rose was quite literally a carbon copy of her mother.

“Yang too…the only differences between you and your mom really are the hair and eyes.” Vernal said to Yang, but the Brawler glanced at her mother and she narrowed her lilac eyes.

“A bit more divides us than that.” She said.

“I believe Jackdaw’s return could be a good thing for us all.” Raven said as she walked with them, and they all stared at Raven with confused looks.

“How’s that?” Oscar asked as he jumped onto the collapsed and buried buildings in front of him.

“It’s given us a second chance…I hope I can use it to mend some of the mistakes I have made. I know I cannot be forgiven for them all.” Raven said as she looked at Ren, she remembered what he said and she agreed with him. But when she looked at her gorgeous daughter, she just hoped she could fix the things between them.

“I wouldn’t hold your breath.” Yang stated, then Valravn stopped again.

“Hate is a plague, once it has been sewn into one’s soul it will spread and destroy.” Valravn stated as he looked at Yang. Raven’s daughter stared at him and Raven was about to translate his riddle, but Valravn did it for her. “Hate was what tore this family apart, it crippled my eldest nephew…turned him into the beast we now hunt. Do you wish to end up the same way? Do you wish to let your darkness be unveiled?” Valravn asked her, and Yang felt rather overshadowed by the old man, yet his words were so wise.

“Hatred and Revenge can cut deeper than any knife.” Ruby also said, for she showed her own wisdom.

“Maybe we don’t need to understand any more than that…maybe that’s enough.” Valravn said to them, and Yang sighed.

“Yeah…maybe that’s enough.” Yang agreed and they continued up the dunes. As they approached the peak of the lapping dune, they stared at the city as it stretched out before them.

“Gods…why is this damned Manor so far away?” Cinder groaned as she leant forward and rubbed her raw sunburnt knees.

“Technically it’s not…there’s just a huge chasm, too dangerous for us to risk crossing. Going through the Abandoned City is the smartest move.” Qrow said as he looked around. Oscar stood next to her as he stared out at the huge landscape before them…and he pulled his binoculars that hung from his neck to his eyes. Raven looked at him after noticing the action.

“What is it?” She asked him, he saw movement down on the ground. Most of the Aerial Grimm were not a problem really, since they were too far to sense them. But the ones on the ground were worth their attention. He saw it move, it was big and the long curved tail was the last thing he saw.

“Grimm…big one…” He described.

“What kind?” Eryka asked.

“Looked like a Deathstalker.” Oscar told her, and they all got ready, since they knew it was possible that this Deathstalker could attack them.

“Alright everyone, be careful. This city belongs to the Grimm now.” Qrow said to them all as he drew Harbinger, and they all slid down the steep angled dune. For his old age, Valravn could still move quite nimbly as he slid down and nailed the landing. He drew his two primitive yet lethal looking sickles, crafted from his surroundings. Wood, bone, stone and flint – with a couple of feathers and wind chimes as well. He walked with his Nephew and Niece and the others followed behind them.

Oscar walked next to Ruby as they looked around the old destroyed city, destroyed by time itself as they kept moving through. “The Sea of Sand…how long do you think it will be before this whole city is completely buried?” Oscar wondered as he looked at the tall buildings. Most of them had already collapsed, but they looked like they could be toppled over any day now. A powerful Sandstorm could be enough to finish them off. They had thousands of completely shattered windows.

The people literally packed up and left, either stayed in the Caldera of Vacuo, or they moved to the other Kingdoms. Ruby looked at Oscar as he walked with his Chained Hammers in his grasp. “I…I don’t really know.” Ruby said to him. “Maybe a few decades.”

“For hundreds of years, after the Great War ended, the Vacuo Building Trade was the best in the world. They learned how to use the environment to their advantage…they were the best…for a time. And then…” Oscar spoke well, despite the fact he was taken in and pretty much raised in the Tribe after his family was massacred by Jackdaw Branwen.

“…and then they weren’t.” Cinder said, her voice caused Ruby to flinch and turn to stare at her. Cinder did not even give Ruby a look, they just kept walking. Ruby scoffed and nodded her head, since Cinder was correct.

“And then they weren’t.” Oscar agreed.

“You can thank the Atlesians for that, they bankrupted them, and their constant building they were so famous for…it caused their collapse in the first place. Now…it’s just a matter of time before everyone leaves Vacuo, and the Kingdom is forgotten.” Ruby explained as she walked past the buried cars that were just abandoned when people were evacuated from the main city. There were some areas by the Caldera still in use, including the main road and bridge across the Chasm. But considering the Chasm Bridge was looking pretty damaged and the area was so open…it was too dangerous to take the fast path.

Nobody would follow them through the Sea of Sand.

As Oscar walked, he spoke of a chillingly beautiful short story that summed up what happened here.

“The Wanders of Sand and Sandstone held each other close, as they turned their backs on their legacy.

The Sandstorms raged, as they swallowed their homes, the lakes and rivers dried, and their crops crumbled into the very storm that consumed them.

The Oncoming Storm blew so hard, so hot, that even the Grimm fled in fear, as the windows melted, and the paint peeled from the aesthetic.

But that was never the final sight, that the Wanderers of the Sand would see of their beloved home as they fled the wall of sand.

No, for it was the view of their home…barren and laid bare…as the sun baked their homes…as the storm finally arrived…they saw everything they ever worked so hard to build.

Disappear, as if it were all a story to begin with.”

Oscar’s words sent chills down their spines, and Yang looked at the young Bandit as he walked next to the Fall Maiden, whom he trusted with his life. “Did you come up with that just now?” Yang asked him, and he looked at her.

“It was a story I read, my Aunt had it. She was a Historian…” He said to them and they all bowed their heads. They all knew about what happened to his Aunt and Uncle, so they decided to not press the matter any further as they kept walking. Valravn walked further into the Sea of Sand…and then he stopped and he held his fist above his head. They all froze in position.

And they felt it…

…the rumbling.

“Deathstalkers…” Raven softly said as she chose her Red Blade and drew it fast.

Suddenly the sand exploded before their very eyes, as the huge arched tail, glowing yellow bulb and stinger emerged from the sand. The black and white rose up from the dunes and snapped its massive pincers at them as it deeply hissed in their direction. Ruby spun Crescent Rose round and glared the beast in its four eyes. When unexpectedly a second and a third emerged from the desolate city, buildings erupted into a thousand pieces as the large Arachnids emerged from the ground. They all snarled as they snapped their pincers and roared at them viciously.

“Attack!” Ruby yelled as she blasted towards the Deathstalker, but the huge beast spun round and swung its tail into her, so hard that it sent her flying back, and crashed straight through the window of one of the buildings. They all split up, and Valravn moved fast as the whispering voices kept muttering in their heads. He leapt up and he spun into a cyclonic charge, and he slashed his two sickles across its armoured spine The sickles were all inside of his staff, since they connected together and he manually folded the blades inwards, which meant that when it came to combat, he could most certainly handle himself.

Nora grinned, and she took Stormur Skeggox and he blasted towards the huge beast and she swung the axe into its leg, and she severed it, and the creature screeched in agony. Black smoke poured out from the wound, and the Pincer suddenly snapped down across her torso, it lifted her off the floor and slammed her down into the ground. “Nora!” Ren yelled, as he threw Stormflower towards it, the weapon spun through the air like a boomerang and cut across the creature’s eye. The giant Scorpion screeched in agony as the eye burst like a bubble being popped. Nora flopped onto the floor but she rolled aside just in time as the massive stinger came crashing down towards her, but she kept crawling back to avoid the huge stinger that kept stabbing down at her.

The beast roared as it lunged toward her, when Oscar’s hammer came blasting in over their heads, and collided right into the face of the Scorpion. The Deathstalker grunted and staggered back as the Bandit went rushing towards the giant beast. He jumped up and he launched the hammers down into the ground, and the impact caused a shockwave that carried him up above the Deathstalker. He then pulled the long chains over his head and the hammers came crashing down with great force atop the beast’s head. The creature bounced from the strike, and snarled as it staggered back, and Oscar landed between Nora and Ren.

The other Stalker challenged Vernal and Cinder, and the two Bandits worked together with efficient combat strategy. The creature charged and went straight through the old sandstone house, and the adobe walls exploded into dust particles. Vernal aimed both her firearms and she fired two long lasers of electrical energy across the thick white bony armour of the creature. “C’mon you overgrown critter!” Vernal yelled, when Cinder held up her hands and the sand rose up around her. She used her semblance to the best of her abilities, she may not be able to use her telekinesis to lift anything bigger than a grain of sand…but that did not mean she could not lift a large cloud of the stuff.

It hovered around her hands, and she ignited the sand and melted it down into shards of glass, and launched it towards the enraged Deathstalker. It roared in pain as the sharp shards cut through the armour and Cinder jumped over the beast as it staggered towards her. Vernal rolled aside and she spun through the air after jumping like a buzz saw. Her curved circular blades cut through the armour and the soft layer of tissue underneath like a hot knife through butte. The creature growled in anger and in pain, when Cinder also suddenly cut one of the huge legs off the giant, which left seven, like the one Nora’s trio were fighting against.

The Deathstalker turned and suddenly took both Pincers and grabbed her, slamming her up against the wall of one of the buildings. The wall cracked upon impact, as the stinger arched above the creature’s head and aimed down to take her down. When suddenly a Sickle came spinning towards it and cut the stinger from the whole tail. The Deathstalker shrieked in agony as the tail came plummeting off into the sand. Cinder gasped and she turned to see Valravn stood there, as the Sickle came spinning back round into his open palm.

“Valravn, Valravn…” The voices kept whispering into the back of their minds, and he stood before the creature. He was calm and collected as he stared it down, smoke trailed from the beak of the mask where the herbs were burning. The Deathstalker swung round and threw Cinder towards the Priest-Like Tribesman. Valravn merely stepped aside as Cinder screamed past him and Eryka slid down the dune behind the giant beast and fired an arrow. The Deathstalker snarled as it felt the arrow puncture between the plates of armour in its rear.

“RIGHT IN THE ASS! YEAH!” Eryka cheered, until the Deathstalker spun its tail and slammed it right into Eryka’s chest. She cried out in pain as her incredibly thin aura broke instantly from the high damage attack from the Deathstalker. She tumbled across the terrain as the Deathstalker turned to her, and charged forward, and stabbed the ground where she was stood. Vernal suddenly leapt at the creature where the stumped tail slammed down. She swung her bladed firearms and they slashed across the stump. The creature roared in pain and staggered back, right towards Valravn who was pacing back and forth behind it.

He jumped up into the air and he slashed his dual weapons across the spine of the beast and it snarled in agony.

On the other side of the battle, Ruby got back up as the Deathstalker charged towards her and it shrieked at her. Ruby’s large silver eyes bulged out as she gasped and the creature went for her. Until Yang dropped down in front of the Deathstalker, and with her cybernetic fist she ploughed it right in the face with a single strike. The Deathstalker roared in pain, staggering back as the shockwave from such a punch caused the huge beast to stumble away from her. “Back off.” Yang hissed, and Ruby smiled.

“Nice one, sis!” Ruby cheered.

A Raven and a Crow came flapping over to them and they both transformed out of thin air, and they slashed their swords across the armour. The Deathstalker roared in anger and pain as it felt the blades cut straight across the armour plating. The creature turned as the sparks rolled down the scales and it slammed the stinger down towards Raven, but she bounced back and she slashed her sword towards it, and sheathed it. The next sword she drew was a Wind Dust Coated Blade, and with such a blade she stabbed it into the sand and she spun it round, which created a mini sand tornado that she sent towards it. Then, she switched to her fire blade, and swung the blade at the tornado, which sent an arc of fire towards it. The flames were caught into the powerful cyclone, which forced a fire and glass tornado.

The shards of glass slice through the armour of the Deathstalker in places, which caused the beast to bellow in agony and stumble. As it staggered across the sand, Qrow took the opportunity and he span through the air, and slashed the sword repeatedly across the armoured plates which protected its head. Every strike inflicted multiple deep lacerations into the armour and black smoke poured out from each wound. It hissed at him and smashed its pincer into his face that sent him tumbling back. The Scorpion then stabbed its huge stinger into a lump of old concrete and it swung the tail round, launching it into Raven.

The block exploded into dust upon impact, and threw Raven into the sand, she groaned as she felt her chest beating from the pain. The Deathstalker suddenly charged towards her and went to devour her whole, when suddenly Yang dropped down in front of her, and caught its large mandibles as they snapped towards her. Raven stared at her daughter with awe as she held the huge beast back, she dropped to one knee from the immense weight of the monster.

“Ruby!” Yang called, and Ruby blasted up into the air and she fired down towards it, and she stabbed the blade of her War Scythe down into the roof of its head. The beast roared in pain and she pulled it away from Raven and Yang, and fired repeatedly into the body. But it was still alive, snapping massive Pincers repeatedly.

Ruby turned when she saw the sky darken, and pink bolts of lightning came crashing down into Stormur Skeggox, and Nora leapt towards the titanic creature. She yelled with fury as she took her axe and she slammed it down towards the creature, but it swiftly retreated back to avoid the deadly strike. Nora channelled the lightning that crackled through her arms and in her hands, right into her axe and she threw it towards the creature. It lodged right into the shoulder of the creature and it came right back into her magnetic pieces in her hand. She caught the huge axe and she threw it a second time. It impacted the armoured head and blasted a powerful shocking pulse of pink lightning into its body.

The Deathstalker roared in agony as the molten forked pink light stabbed and burned into its body. It staggered and she charged the energy through the axe and into the head of the blade, and she aimed it at the creature, and blasted that thick beam of pink energy into the pincer. The pincer was severed in seconds and it fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The long beam of energy eventually ceased, and Nora spun Stormur Skeggox through her fingers. Ren charged past her with Oscar flanking the creature. Oscar spun and he launched his chained hammers forward, the blunt and hard strikes caused the creature to stagger, and it gave Ren the chance to run across the severed pincer and onto the arm of the creature. He leapt onto its head whilst Oscar swung his long chains back and forth, the motions blew off chunks of armour plating faster than they could even blink. The creature kept snarling with pain.

“Nora! Hit Stormflower!” Ren called as he stabbed them both into the roof of the creature’s skull. Nora turned to Oscar, since she had a genius plan.

“Can you throw me up in the air with those chains?” She asked him and he nodded, and he jumped atop one of the old stone pillars left behind from the old city. He stood atop the pillar and threw one of his chains down to her, and it wrapped around her body. He roared as he swung her around, and launched her up into the sky. She flipped through the air and thrusted Stormur Skeggox over her head. The clouds formed and darkened the sky as pink lightning channelled above her head and came raining down into the head of her axe. The electricity coursed through her veins and she carried the lightning and she blasted it down from the head of her axe.

It crashed down and Ren jumped off just in time, as the pillar of light impacted his weapon and the blade directed all that energy inside of the beast. It screeched in immense pain as the lightning cooked it from the inside out. Flames ignited across the plates of armour and it turned charred. Nora landed down with the electricity coursing across her body and her eyes glowed a bright pink as she grinned. The Deathstalker slumped to the floor, and its huge body crumbled away into smoke before their very eyes. Ren pulled his trusty Machine Pistol from the sand where it fell as the body faded away.

He flinched from the heat that covered the blade and he holstered them. “Great work, Nora.”

Nora squeaked a smile. “You too, Oscar. We make a great team.”

Oscar smiled.

On the other hand, Cinder blasted her Fall Maiden powers of fire and ice into the Deathstalker, but it jumped and it buried down into the ground. Her attack exploded a nearby house, which caused multiple nested birds to flee from their home. They all looked around, and Valravn watched and felt the ground as he stood there. The sand began to vibrate violently as the creature dug towards them. The sand erupted before them and the huge creature landed right in front of Cinder, which knocked her to the ground.

Dulcis glided overhead and started to harass the huge beast whilst Eryka – who was forced to take a back seat due to her weak Aura – fired multiple arrows from a safe distance. Each arrow hit their mark, punctured straight through the soft membrane of darkness. One arrow hit the kneecap of one leg and brought it down to its side with a grunt. That gave Cinder the chance to form her Axe and she swung it directly upwards and right into the chest cavity that was less armoured than the top of it. The Deathstalker roared in agony, and it retreated back from them, limping on its damaged legs.

Valravn and Vernal charged forward, and the younger Bandit slid underneath the attacking pincer of the huge Arachnid. It snapped at where she was and as she slid underneath its arm, she fired both of her pistols up into the bone. The beams of energy cut through the membrane with such ease, but as soon as it hit armour, it was no as useful. The Deathstalker stared at her with a snarl and it slammed the stump of its tail down at her again, it may not be able to stab and poison people anymore, but it could still crush them with the power of a massive blunt tail colliding into them.

Vernal slid across the sand and she kept firing Wind and Fire at the creature, but it used its thick armoured pincers to block the incoming shots. Until Valravn ran across the buildings with great speed, and he jumped onto its back and stabbed both of his sickles into the top of its head. The creature roared in pain as he held onto the beast. He pulled it around and he did not even make a sound, no straining or yelling whatsoever. The Deathstalker reached up with its pincers to try and pull him off but he pulled back and ripped some plates of armour back and they came clean off. It revealed the soft tissue beneath, and he would have gone for its head, if the Pincer did not grab him.

It swung the old man round and threw him straight through one of the buildings. He finally made a sound, he grunted and crashed into the sand as the whole building collapsed. He body slid to a halt and Cinder forged her Obsidian Axe and she charged towards the giant. As she charged towards it, it snapped the pincers at her and she rolled out of the way. She blasted herself up into the air with her Fall Maiden Powers, and with both hands she slammed the axe into the top of its head. The blade cut straight through and the Deathstalker shrieked in agony. She held it there and she twisted the axe, the shriek fell silent and the whole body collapsed with a heavy crash.

Cinder exhaled with relief, and wiped the sweat from her forehead as she looked at Vernal and Eryka. “I’ve always hated Scorpions…” She said, as she referenced the insane Faunus she was working with back when she was with Salem.

Finally there was one Deathstalker left, and it was up to Ruby, Yang, Raven and Qrow to bring the giant down. It roared viciously as it kept trying to pull Ruby from its head where she had her Scythe impaled into. And finally it managed to get her, as the stinger slammed into her back and smashed her face first into the ground. She groaned in pain, stunned from the sudden and hard impact to her back and to her face. If it were not for her aura, she would have been killed by that.

Raven fired her Odachi from the Scabbard with the Fire Dust blade attached to the hilt and she cut straight through the stinger that was diving down towards Summer Rose’s daughter. The flames caused the armour to melt and the golden stinger plummeted from the tail, Raven slid across the ground and she sheathed the blade and switched to Ice. She stabbed the blade into the sand which sent huge spikes of ice to erupt from the ground into the creature. However, due to the lack of water in both the air and the ground, the shards of ice shattered on impact, thus were nowhere near as strong as they could have been.

But the plan was never to impale the creature, but merely to stun it so then Yang can fire forward and punch the beast in the side of the head. She fired her shotguns built into Ember Celica as well, the shrapnel cracked and damaged the armour plating which caused the weaknesses to become clearer and clearer. Qrow yelled as he flew over the creature and he sliced the pincer on the right arm of the Deathstalker off in a single swing thanks to Harbinger being used in its Scythe Form. The Deathstalker growled and it stared at Ruby as she got up and aimed her Sniper Rifle at the creature.

It roared, and it jumped at her with a horrible shrieking roar, mandibles open as it went to devour her whole. “RUBY!” Yang screamed, but Ruby was fearless, for she loaded an explosive bullet into the chamber.

And she fired it, right into the open black mouth of the Deathstalker.

It went right down its gullet, and detonated, the armour plating around the skull of the creature exploded and was sent everywhere. Black blood and smoke spewed everywhere as the massive arthropod fell limp and collided into Ruby. The two of them crashed through the sand dune behind them, and landed back in the centre of the field of skirmish. They all ran – except for Valravn – to help Ruby out. They forced the huge body off and dragged the giggling girl out.

“Ruby! Are you okay?” Yang worried as she checked her over, but Ruby just laughed, and gave them a thumbs up.

“That…was…AWESOME!” Ruby cheered and kicked her legs back and forth.

“You silly little…oh c’mere!” Yang sighed with relief as she squeezed her sister in a loving hug.

“Sis…stop…you’re embarrassing us…” Ruby wheezed, whilst Vernal shook her head with a smile as she looked at Raven.

“Was Summer like this?” Vernal inquired.

“Oh yeah.” Raven assured as she sheathed her sword and helped Ruby up to her feet. They all stood together and they looked ahead to see the rest of the city was cleared out.

They continued on their path through the Sea of Sand, round the rest of the Caldera…when they finally found it.

It stood amongst the Dunes with plenty of defensible Positions, larger than any house they had ever seen at Vacuo. It had huge Corinthian Arches that connected the many roads to its position…

…there was no doubt in their mind that this was the place.

They had found the Hearthstone Chateau.

 

 


	14. The Hearthstone Chateau

**Oscar**

It stood before them…or at least it was almost stood.

The wood that the building was crafted from looked like it was inches from collapsing due to time and the weathering from sandstorms that hit it. They would need quite a lot of repairs done to this house if they meant to reclaim it for themselves. Ruby and Yang approached the closed front doors, and she pressed her hand to the sun scorched wood, and pushed it open. It creaked loudly as it opened up, and the dust blew inside of the house. The rusted lock shattered so easily, it was quite frightening how easily it broke. But what was more concerning was the fact that it was locked from the inside.

Ruby looked at her sister as they stood there, and Qrow walked toward them with his hand held close to his sword. “Careful, kids – remember what Malachite brought us here for. We need to clear this place out of Grimm. So be ready. They could be hiding anywhere…” Qrow advised, before he drew Harbinger once more. They all entered the building and looked around, they listened to everything that surrounded them.

As they entered, the door slowly closed behind them, with a slam too. They all jolted when they heard the sound. The dust fell from the ceilings and the cracks in the walls. There was such a creepy feeling to this place, they felt like they were constantly being watched. Silence was never there, it was always interrupted by something. Be it the howling winds from outside…or the caws of Ravens watching their every move…or maybe it was the mysterious disembodied bootsteps that paced from hall to hall.

“Are you sure it’s just Grimm? Sure it isn’t abandoned?” Yang inquired nervously, very rarely did places like these hit her nerves, but this place was so different.

“Nobody lives out here Yang…nobody can.” Raven told her as they walked in, so they kept moving. Ruby walked with Oscar towards one of the old abandoned rooms. Everything was as if they left it, they both entered this old Entertainment room. The dust had settled and claimed this place a very long time ago, and yet everything looked like it was waiting for them to get back. Glasses were still sat on the tables or on the edge of the pool table. The television just left there, dust gathered over the screen.

“This is weird…” Oscar said as he walked around the room, he pushed a couple books aside as he looked around. Ruby nodded her head, she checked underneath one of the tables as they looked for the mysterious Grimm. She looked at the wall to see spider webs, absolutely everywhere. But not gigantic – not like some of the Orb Weavers they had come across in the past. They were normal sized in fact, there were just so many.

“Yeah…you’ve never looted a place like this?” Ruby asked him, and Oscar scoffed.

“No, never been to a creepy haunted Mansion before.” Oscar stated as he picked up one of the old antique glasses that were just left there. They could sell those and make a damn huge load of Lien. There were some Black Market Dealers that would make a killing for something like that. But he set it back down, they did not have the right equipment for fragile treasures like this, but at the end of the day, most of them were thieves, so it was their internal nature to start taking whatever they could find. The difference was very clear when in comparison to Ruby, who still had not even glared at anything to steal it, she just kept looking around.

Oscar could see what kind of a girl she was, a girl who was raised by a family who loved her and wanted her to be good and just. This was not something he liked, for a simple reason. _My parents died because they were good. My Aunt and Uncle got butchered, because they were good. Kindness gets you killed…and it will get her killed too._

His thoughts were practically screaming at him, demanding that he would tell her the way things were, and unlike Ruby – he did not swallow it down. “I know what kind of a girl you are, Ruby Rose.” Oscar told her, Ruby paused in her tracks and turned to face him.

“Excuse me?” She asked him.

“You judge me for looking for things that can help the tribe, but sadly that is the way things are. People who try and only do good things in their life die. I’ve seen it so many times, and I’m done seeing it again.” Oscar explained rather sternfully as he kept searching, Ruby looked at him and it hurt, since she only wanted to make conversation, not a confrontation with him.

“I didn’t judge you.” Ruby defended innocently.

“Oh don’t even try and lie. I’ve had people like you sneering at me for years for how I live my life, so don’t try and act like the perfect girl. Because your not.” Oscar snarled as he kept opening up the crates, only to find out of date snacks and some old alcohol bottles inside.

“I never said I was perfect.” Ruby stated as she started to clench her fist.

“You didn’t need to.” He scoffed in return, suddenly Ruby kicked the table.

“I’m NOT PERFECT!” She yelled at him, and he stopped, and turned to stare at her. He did not think she had the stomach to scream at him like that. Oscar saw her large silver eyes stare straight into his hazel coloured ones. She then pulled up her shirt, and showed him the scars. The scars she got when Neo stabbed her in the stomach, the most painful experience she had ever known in her entire life. “You see these? I was stabbed twice by a girl who nearly opened my throat for a crime I never committed. My mother was murdered by a madman, and I watched my best friend get ripped apart, because I couldn’t save her. Don’t you dare ever assume that I think I’m perfect…judgement goes two ways, Oscar.” Ruby hissed at him, and Oscar stared at her as she yanked her shirt back down. She turned and she walked away from him, and that left Oscar on his own.

He pressed his hand against the wall and he sighed, deep down he did not mean to upset her. She did not seem like a cruel girl in his eyes, and now he felt like he was the cruel one. He closed his eyes as he exhaled.

“Oscar…” A voice whispered behind him, it came out of nowhere so he spun around and saw nothing there. There was a chill in the air, and he felt the eyes watching him from somewhere.

He could hear the bootsteps and the sound of a door creaking open nearby, it creeped him out to his very core. “Ruby?” He softly said as he looked for her.

He blinked and it all changed, he could even taste it in the air. It was almost metallic as he looked around the place, it all melted away before his very eyes. The horrors that he always knew began to form, the eyes of his dead Aunt and Uncle stared up at him. Their bodies cut open and chopped up by the blades of a monstrous foe. Oscar staggered back as it saw it, the blood that left their mouths, and then they rose up before him. He backed up against the wall as their corpses stared directly into his eyes.

“A-Auntie? Uncle?” Oscar whimpered, he suddenly felt like he was only fifteen years old again, then they spoke. Their voices malformed and horrific.

“Why did you hide? You wanted to help them…wanted to protect them…but you hid like a coward. Why?” They both spoke at once, and Oscar pressed his hands to his head as he fell to the floor.

“S-Stop…go away…” He whimpered and they stared at him menacingly. He closed his eyes, he had not suffered from these hallucinations in a very long time, but as he opened his eyes. They were still there, and a dark terrifying monster was between them. It was tall with massive bladed wings, a sharp beak and glowing red eyes. It laughed darkly as it stared at him, and it suddenly leapt at him with a haunting roar. He screamed and he covered his eyes…only for nothing to touch him.

Vernal suddenly rushed into the room where she found him whimpering in fear. Ruby did not even hear his scream, she just kept walking. Vernal approached the young boy and she crouched down beside him. “Hey…you alright, Oscar?” Vernal asked him with a worried voice, he looked around. The blood was gone, the darkness was gone…the monsters were gone. The Monster he saw, the giant creature with feathers and a beak…it was what his young mind saw instead of Jackdaw when he opened his door.

“Didn’t you see it?” He whimpered as he shook, Vernal looked around and still saw nothing.

“Oscar…it’s alright, they can’t hurt you. Come on, let’s just keep looking, huh?” She asked him as she held his hand and helped him back up. He was nearly an adult now, and yet he still clung to Vernal like a mother. She was always the one who helped him when he needed it, Raven did the same but Vernal was always there.

The two of them exited the room, but as Vernal was about to go…she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist…and a cold breath on her neck. It brought back bad memories as she turned round, and saw nothing there. She squeezed her eyes shut and she shuddered, and continued to move on with Oscar.

But one thing was certain now…this place was getting weirder by the second.

 

**Ruby**

Unaware of what Oscar just experienced, Ruby just kept walking, as always. She blocked out her thoughts about what he said to her, and she started to look for those she knew. Ruby always suffered when it came to talking to people she didn’t know, all because she assumed that they all hated her. And sadly, Oscar did not help that theory of hers, since his first idea when she just tried to have a conversation with him, he threw some verbal abuse at her. As Ruby looked for either Yang, Nora, Ren, Eryka or Qrow, she turned a corner and her eyes widened with disbelief of who she found instead.

The very last person she wanted to find.

Cinder Fall.

Cinder glared at her as she turned the corner and she had her fist clenched, Ruby looked at the bandaged arm and saw the scarring. She did not even need the wraps anymore, but it looked like she wore them merely for the aesthetic of it. Ruby and Cinder shared this tense moment of silence between one another as they stared at each other. “It’s a good thing I’m loyal to your sister’s mom, kid…otherwise I’d kill you right now.” Cinder snarled, her constant self-absorbed nature angered Ruby to a point she wanted to kill her right then and there. But then her kindness stopped her from ever wishing death upon another living thing.

“How can you possibly be that self-obsessed, Cinder? I mean…Gods…what is wrong with you? You look at me like I’m the bad guy, but do you even remember what you did at Beacon? You killed one of my best friends! You nearly killed Pyrrha right in front of me!” Ruby argued, and Cinder laughed at her naivete.

“You’re stupidity baffles me, Rose. It really does…you look at me, and you see a crazy terrorist, don’t you?” Cinder questioned aggressively at her, and Ruby shrugged her shoulders with a scoff.

“Eh, destroying my school and killing hundreds kinda gives you a reputation, y’know?” Ruby pointed out, and Cinder scowled at her.

“Try standing in my shoes, girl. You’ve had it easy your whole life, fed cookies and cooked meals…not overshadowed by a monster.” Cinder snarled viciously, Ruby knew who she was talking about. They heard her mentioned back at the Academy when the Black Smog were attacking in great force.

_Salem…_

She knew next to nothing about this mysterious woman, the Dark Queen that controls the Grimm and uses them to wage war on everything created. She knows nothing, and yet she scares her more than Killian or even Jackdaw Branwen. She stared at Cinder, and despite how afraid of Salem she was…she was still standing there, _against_ her. “What? You want me to cry for you? Oh poor Cindy Cinder grew up in a bad place? Guess again, I haven’t forgotten what you did. Want me to forgive you? You gotta try better than that.” Ruby snarled, and she pushed past her. Cinder recoiled slightly and she reached out to grab her, embers trailed from her amber eyes. She gritted her teeth and wanted to kill Ruby right now, to make her pay for what she did to her eye. But then…she lowered her hand and she blew out a breath from her mouth. Stood by the doorway was Raven, she saw the whole thing, and there was a small smile.

Progress…

Slow going, but progress nonetheless. The Cinder Fall she met when she saved her from certain death would have killed Ruby in seconds, but the woman stood before her now actually hesitated. It was small, but it was something. Cinder sighed and she kept walking around the room.

Ruby kept moving away from Cinder all, her heart was pounding. She managed to hide how afraid she was to stand before the same woman that killed Penny Polendina. She hated Emerald too, and Mercury…but it was Emerald that made Pyrrha kill the poor girl. But even she was acting on orders, ones made by their main foe…at the time. As Ruby kept walking through the house, she found her sister. She was stood inside of some kind of old Armoury. All the weapons had already been taken from the place, only cobwebs were left behind, thick white almost mist like webs that smothered the racks that once held rifles and machine guns. Ruby stood next to her sister as she looked around.

“Hey sis.” Ruby gently said to her sister.

“Hey…” Yang said as she mooched around the area, she checked certain things. They were searching for anything, any sign of Grimm activity. But so far all they had uncovered were some spooky noises and weird hallucinations, like what Oscar had just felt earlier.

“You alright? This place…it feels kinda…”

“Weird? Yeah I know what you mean. Keep feeling like we’re being watched.” Yang said as she looked over her shoulder. There was nothing there when she looked, but as she turned to look at her sister. She suddenly screamed and fell back, straight into the cobwebs. Ruby yelped from the shock and she pulled her sister from the webs, and pulled the webbing from her soft blonde hair as well.

“Whoa! Yang…are you okay?” Ruby whimpered with fear.

“Did you…didn’t you…” She stammered, and she pressed her hands to her head, and it kept flashing in her memory. She saw him, his smirk, that damn mask over his damned eyes. The red blade, the red hair. She saw Adam again, but it really looked like he was right there. It scared her so bad it nearly gave her a heart attack.

“Adam?” She asked her with concern, she held her older sister’s hand gently.

“Mhm…I seriously thought he was behind you…and if he was…I screamed and I fell over…he would’ve killed you.” Yang stammered, it terrified her that her first instinct when she saw Adam was to scream and try and run away.

“It’s alright…trust me.” Ruby said to her, and her constant confidence in people always amazed her, but also her understanding. She would never act like she knew what someone was thinking, especially when they were the ones who suffered opposed to herself.

“It’s not you I don’t trust…I…If I stumble and I panic…if I ever see him again…if that ever gets you or someone else hurt, or even worse – killed. I’ll never be able to live with myself.” Yang said with tearful eyes, but she sucked it up, and found her comfort around her sister. She held her close and buried her head into her sister’s soft head of hair.

 

**Raven**

Raven watched from the stairwell, Cinder was still walking and looking around whilst they had their moment. Raven went up the stairs to investigate the bedrooms where she found Vernal. She was stood at the foot of the bed, staring at it and her hand was shaking.

“Vernal?” She asked with worry.

“Oh! R-Raven…sorry…I uh…” Vernal stammered, but Raven saw the way she was staring at that bed. She walked over to it and sat down on it. She looked at Vernal and she tapped the side of it so then she would sit down next to her. The Former Spider did as her saviour asked of her, and she sat down slowly on the bed. Raven also saw how her hand jolted upon touching the bed, it brought back memories she so desperately wanted to bury.

“You seeing things too?” Raven asked her, and Vernal nodded her head. “I’ve heard stories about this place, that Grimm that lurked here fed off the suffering that happened here. It’s made whatever is hiding here extremely powerful.” Raven stated as she looked around for it, but she could not see it. Any Grimm that uses hallucinations to wither their prey down would normally be quite weak and cowardly in comparison to other Grimm, hence why they do not use physical means of taking down their prey.

“Well…I can tell…I keep…I keep feeling it again. The things some of those men and women…what they did to me, all for information. What I did to them too…I don’t want to remember it. It’s a time of my life I just want to forget…and I can’t escape it.” She shuddered, she rubbed her arms and she felt so small and fragile. She was paid by many for her services, she was never raped but it was still uncomfortable for her. She never wanted to be a Prostitute, Malachite simply gave her two choices. Accept the upgrade, or remain a street rat that suffers. But she never wanted to be used like that…never…

“I’m sorry, I know you must be sick of hearing me say that. I wish I could help women who end up in that kind of work.” Raven said to her, and Vernal sniffled and nodded her head.

“Yeah…not great. I used to know some girls who dreamed of sleeping with the richest men in the city. Trust me…those men were just fat creeps who could barely get up in the morning. I may have had control in the bed, and I learned what I could from them…but I still hated it.” Vernal explained, and Raven looked at her and she gently patted her shoulder.

“I know…the things we do for money, huh?” Raven scoffed, and Vernal did the same.

“The things we do for money.” She said, and she looked over to the bedside table of the room. She saw the faces of the couple that slept here, the frame was covered in sand and dust, but it did not completely fade. Vernal approached the frame and she picked it up, and blew the dust from the glass. Raven got up and walked over to her. “Who were these two?” Vernal asked.

“Giovani and Zara Dijon. They were the Leaders of the Vacuo Mafia. Married couple, met when they were kids and helped each other form an empire. I heard they had six kids.” Raven said as she looked at the bed where they were probably conceived. She looked over and saw the cot in the corner and she approached it. It was empty with nothing but dust and an old mouldy teddy bear inside.

“They were rich…even had a note here, for the Vacuo Councillor at the time.” Vernal said as she picked it up, clearly it had not been sent. Or it was an old version, due to the crossed out parts.

“Likely an old one, Giovani couldn’t write but Zara could. She came from a richer family.” Raven said, Vernal turned to her leader.

“You know a lot about these two.” She pointed out.

“I did a few jobs for them, to get information for Ozpin back when I was one of his little Huntresses in Training.” Raven explained as she tucked her hands into her pockets. Vernal began to read the letter of which they wrote.

_Councillor Valery of Vacuo_

_We are writing to you as a response to your previous letter about the coming Drought. We do pray that you are joking, you surely do not mean that you want to keep all of this a secret? To completely lie to the people? Crops are dying faster than they are growing, the rivers are drying out and children are dying. This is no heatwave, we have some geologists with us and they have informed us that this is a side effect of all the deforestation your company has inflicted on the land._

_There isn’t enough oxygen being converted, meaning less air for things to breathe, meaning less clouds forming in the sky to give us rain. We need to start planting trees in areas where the soil is still rich, before this land is killed for good and we cannot keep lying to the people. You need to start building up an evacuation order, in case things get worse. Because they will, the city does not have enough essential resources to keep the people alive. If this is not sorted out soon, you could have a serious riot on your hands._

_The Mafia is more than willing to help sort out this problem, we can use our connections to get facilities built to repair the atmosphere. But I cannot do this without your help, Councillor._

_Please…this is the fourth letter I have sent you now, I beg of you, heed our words._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Giovani Dijon_

Vernal set the letter back down and she scoffed, and looked at Raven. “The Councillors of Vacuo did not say a word about the Drought? They kept it a secret?” Vernal asked her, and Raven nodded her head.

“It was bad when I was here, people were dying in the city and they desperately needed water and sustenance. But the Vacuo Councillors? They just assumed it was a bad summer…they were wrong. And now the Kingdom is facing destruction – the Dijon Family were right, they should have listened. Because now Vacuo will most likely be gone in the next twenty years.” Raven explained to Vernal, and she scoffed.

“All because of Lavinia Vasillias.” She said as she slapped the note back down where she found it.

“All because of Lavinia Vasillias.” Raven agreed.

 

**Ren**

 

They were not the only ones who had found some interesting things, down below, Ren and Nora kept walking around. The creaking and unsettling nature of the building was just getting stronger and stronger with every step that they took. Ren held out Stormflower as he walked into the room. “Where’re the Grimm at?” Nora questioned, and that was indeed a question that was eating away at Ren as well. They should have come across them by now. This place looked like a haven for them, and yet they experienced more Grimm activity on the way over.

And yet…there was still something very unnerving here. The creaking boards, the whispery voices they heard every now and then, and even some doors that would open and close. It was like something, or someone, was moving around the house, looking for something. Nora had Ren’s back like always, Stormur Skeggox held high with crackling pink electricity coursing through the head of the weapon. She kept her wits sharp about her as she walked inside behind Ren.

Nora lowered her Axe from what she saw…a man was pinned to the wall inside of this room by what looked like an Ornate Spear. His blood had faded and stained the wall, but the clothes were still wrapped around his skeleton. Moth eaten and weathered down from sand and erosion, Nora approached him, and crouched down before his bones. “Ren…” She said to get his attention. He turned and saw the body who was brutally murdered by the Vasillias Cartel who attacked them…the question was still lingering in their minds. How could the most powerful Crime Kingpins in the world – the Mafia – be beaten by a Cartel that had half the firepower and manpower?

They couldn’t figure that one out.

But they knew one thing, this man was part of the Dijon Mafia, he had the same symbol that was on the bedframe of Giovani and Zara’s Bedroom. It was a Lien snapped in half by a shooting star. It was quite the artistic marking, and the spear was rammed straight through the badge over his chest. The soldier must have done that on purpose, Nora turned when she saw that Ren found something on the table. The room they were in looked like a Forgery of some kind, there were falsified documents left here alongside laundered Lien. None of it was taken by the Cartel…

“It’s a letter…there’s two of them, one of them to the Councillors…and another one to…Lil Miss Malachite.” Ren said as he looked at Nora. She got up with curiosity as he read the letter.

 

_Councillor Valery of Vacuo_

_What have you done?_

_You told the other Kingdoms that the situation was under control? Are you insane? People are going to die, you are all going to destroy your people. I tried to help you save your Kingdom but clearly you don’t care. I had one of my spies get inside of your little safe house…you’re preparing flights to ditch us, aren’t you? Take a cushy job in Atlas? Damn scumbags, you have just doomed millions because of your own selfishness and cowardice._

_Well, if you aren’t going to do it then we will. We’re taking over command of your Kingdom, and we are going to try and save it. Really shows how messed up things have become when a Crime Lord cares more for his Kingdom than the people who actually run it. I am going to utilize the many eyes that the Spiders have, and I am going to work to make sure that we save this city, no matter the cost. Even if we must sacrifice the Main City and evacuate people to other safe havens._

_Vacuo will survive…I will make sure of it._

_Not like you care, hope you enjoy your comfy jobs and homes in Atlas. Keep an eye over your shoulder, you best pray I don’t decide to cut off loose ends, Valery._

_Giovani and Zara Dijon_

Ren set down the note and he scoffed with disgust, because he never thought the day would come that he would actually side with the criminals. “That’s…horrible. The Councillors just abandoned their people, I actually applaud the Mafia for trying.” Nora said as she stared at the note that Ren just read out. Ren holstered his dual machine pistols as he looked down at the note he just looked through.

“Lies…that’s what killed Vacuo. The damned Vacuan Councillors wanted to make the situation out to be okay to protect their reputations. And when they knew that the situation was worse than they said…they all up and run.” Ren scoffed as he slammed his hand against the table. There was nothing he hated more than liars, especially lies that get people killed. It was one of the main reasons why Ren hated Killian so much, his way to get away with some of the worst deeds thanks to a good lie…it made his blood boil.

Lies…lies will always get people killed…every single time.

“Are you okay?” Nora asked as she held his hand, he looked at her and squeezed her palm.

“Mhm…just sick of all the lying. I hated leaving Jaune and Pyrrha like that…I just want all of this to be over.” Ren said, and Nora chuckled.

“We only just got started, Renny.” She pointed out with a smile, which made Ren chuckle.

“I guess I always have been one to get bored quick, huh?” He asked her, she giggled and smiled brightly.

“Good thing you got me, hmm?” She asked him as she slid up and she fell into his arms like she swooned, she smiled up at him and he nuzzled his nose on hers. As they went to kiss, they noticed a chilling shadow walk past. They even heard the sound of its bony hooves as it walked past, the Imp’s long boneless arms dragged across dirt as it groaned. The Horse growled softly as it kept moving. They knew that shadow all too well and they spun round…

…only for it not even be there.

“This place…it’s messing with us, isn’t it?” Ren asked.

“Yeah…there’s no way that thing could have travelled across the ocean to get here.” Nora pointed out, since the shadow resembled the exact same Nuckelavee that destroyed Kuroyuri. The arrows and spears were sticking out of the Imp’s spine, which made it extremely recognisable.

They both calmed down after they saw it and they found comfort in each other’s arms. Nora pressed her head to Ren’s chest and listened to his heartbeat with a smile, he felt so warm and gentle. “I’ve got you.” He promised.

“Right back at ya.” Nora promised. They released one another and they turned back to the table to the note that was left there. They both read the last note that was left behind.

The one that was sent to Lil Miss Malachite.

_Lil Miss Malachite_

_The Councillors have abandoned us, but I bet you already knew that thanks to your many spiders you have in your company. I need your help, you have the most information in the whole world, you’re the best Information Broker there is, and I need you to locate the best conservationists. We need to rebuild the eco-system to help save Vacuo, this drought will destroy the Kingdom forever if we do not stop it. It will spread and spread and spread until the water sources are all gone, and no food will ever be harvested._

_Even the Caldera will run dry, we need to prepare._

_I propose the idea of rebuilding the forest that the Councillors destroyed, then we can build a dam that we can use for both sustainable power and sustenance for our people and the eco-system itself. I believe this is the best option we have left for the Kingdom…the Vasillias Cartel has already decided to help us in this endeavour. Their money and resources will come in great handy._

_I hope this message finds you well._

_Zara Dijon_

“That was only by the wife, Giovani didn’t even have a hand in this message.” Nora pointed out, Ren nodded his head since he also noticed another important name.

“The Vasillias Cartel…they cut a deal with them.” Ren pointed out, then their eyes turned to the body of the Mafia Soldier that was butchered by none other than the same Cartel.

“Looks like it didn’t pan out well.” She said with a sigh.

 

**Eryka**

She walked with what could have almost been described as Elegance, she slid her hands across the dusty handrails of the stairs as she walked down them. Dulcis was circling the skies outside and would call them if there were any Grimm headed their way. She turned when she saw Valravn and Qrow walking down the hallway towards her. “Anything?” Qrow asked curiously.

“Nothing, just spiders.” Eryka said to him as she shrugged her shoulders. The three of them looked around, Valravn said nothing yet their still heard the mysterious whispers that seemed to surround him. Eryka stood next to Qrow and she whispered into his ear. “What’s with the voices? I never knew.” Eryka asked curiously, she was very rarely in the company of Valravn when she was still part of the Tribe.

“It’s a damn long story.” Qrow said to her as he walked down the hallway to follow Valravn.

“So where do you think these Grimm are? Or where the hell the Mafia Leaders are? I heard about what the Vasillias Cartel did to them, it was a damn dirty move.” Eryka explained and Qrow nodded his head.

“I know. I’ve seen a couple skeletons here and there, but there were just dead thugs. No sign of any important folk around here.” Qrow explained as he walked beside Eryka. She looked around and listened, her senses had always been sharpened thanks to those who trained her how to hunt with an Eagle. You learn their senses that way, you become one with them.

“This place gives me the heebie-jeebies.” Eryka shuddered as she walked, Qrow nodded his head in agreement.

“Tell me about it. Seen a few weird things already. Hoping the explanation is some sort of Grimm, not sure why Malachite would want this place. It’s run down, Haunted and has bodies everywhere. Not exactly the nicest place to live.” Qrow chuckled as he walked with Eryka towards the closed double doors that Valravn approached. He stared at the doors and he breathed softly as he opened them up. Their eyes widened from what they found inside…

There was a large table, it was nearly as long as the entire room. It had gold and silver ornate markings across it and old plates with rotted away food left behind. Glasses smashed and their bodies littered with holes. Some with shattered ribs, broken skulls or merely stabbed to death. One of them still had a knife plunged into the eye socket. “By the gods…what the hell happened here?” Eryka asked, but then she figured it out.

“One final meal…for one final betrayal.” Valravn spoke as he walked around the table, they all looked at the bodies inside. Qrow stared at two bodies and he recognised them…they were the Married Leaders of the Mafia. Giovani and Zara. They both were murdered, shot and stabbed to death, due to the holes in their clothing. Qrow looked at them and found that Zara and Giovani tried to fight but clearly were overwhelmed in seconds.

“It’s them…it’s Giovani and Zara Dijon.” Qrow realised as he pointed at their heads. He could instantly tell by the fact they were sat at the head of the table, and by the old moulted hair on Zara’s head. Her jewellery was snatched off her too, she seemed like quite the Jewel Enthusiast.

“How the hell did this even happen?” Eryka asked with disbelief, and Valravn gave them yet another hint.

“Spiders in large webs can catch larger prey.” He told them, Eryka looked at him and she did not even need to be a master wordsmith like Valravn to figure out what that meant. She looked at Eryka and it gave them chills.

“Lil Miss Malachite…she worked under them for a while as a Spy Network. It was how they managed to keep people in check, back before the Kingdom was starting to fall.” Qrow explained as he walked around the room and he sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose as he circled the table with Valravn and Eryka. They kept looking at the scene of this horrendous massacre.

“So, what? Lil Miss Malachite got them in?” Eryka inquired.

“No. The Spider’s Venom can be hard to trace, until it has made damage that cannot be healed.” Valravn explained, he looked down at a letter and he gave it to Eryka for her to read it out.

One more letter to bind this terrible story together.

 

_Lil Miss Malachite of the Spiders_

_Mrs Lavinia Vasillias and Mr Roland Vasillias of the Vasillias Cartel_

_I humbly write to you all, as a thank you for your agreement to assist us in the reparations of our great Kingdom. The Governments of Vacuo could never see the future that we see, and we will make sure that the people of this Kingdom live long and prosperous lives._

_And this is all thanks to you._

_Together we will fix the eco-system of which the Democrats of this land had raped and destroyed for their own benefits. With our combined efforts we will rebuild the land, let the rivers flourish and let the air breathe again. Just as it should have done for thousands of years. The Kingdom of Vacuo will never forget the service in which you have done for it._

_Which leads us to this – we will be hosting a dinner, in which we can celebrate this new alliance we have created._

_I hope you can make it, and I also hope that this alliance shall prosper and live on for generations._

_I thank you…and wish you all the best._

_Giovani and Zara Dijon_

_Of the Vacuo Mafia_

Eryka set it down and she sighed, it made them sad. They truly believed they were going to save the Kingdom of Vacuo, and not for power or for money. They simply did it because they wanted to protect the people, they wanted to atone for their past sins by using what they attained for good. “Why? Why did they kill them?” Eryka asked as she set the note down on the table, and Valravn sighed.

“The Food Chain…the big fish eats the little fish…and yet the smartest of them keeps on swimming.” Valravn told her, she looked at the bodies and she could see it now. All of them sat around at dinner, cheering and thanking the Vasillias Cartel and Spiders. From the way in which everyone in the Mafia was massacred that night, there must have been guards on the walls. Who must have been working for both the Cartel and the Spiders, and then they made their move. They were butchered at their own table, stabbed, beheaded, broken, and ruined. There were even the bodies of children here…six children…the Dijon Children. Murdered by Lavinia Vasillias herself…Eryka could still remember her mother returning home after she said she finished it.

She killed the children herself, alongside Zara and Giovani.

“Lavinia Vasillias didn’t want any competition, and Lil Miss Malachite is a survivor. She will always bet on the winning side, and sadly Lavinia had better cards. She may not have had the numbers at the time, but she was smarter and more cunning. Giovani and Zara were idealists, and they wanted to make the world a better place. Their kindness…was exploitable.” Qrow explained to her as he walked around the table and he sighed as he looked at their bodies. Murdered in such a horrible and honourless way.

“But why? What did my mother have to gain? Sure she got rid of the competition…but she must have gotten something…” Eryka assumed and Qrow shrugged his shoulders.

“Vacuo isn’t worth anything anymore. The Relic is all that matters now.” Qrow explains. “The Dust Mines ran out years ago, the Councillors destroyed their forests and all the water is gone. All they have now is sand.” Qrow explained, and that made it hurt all the more. They could have made something beautiful out of all this sand.

Instead?

All they have now…is a desert of death and deceit.

Qrow reached into his jacket and he poured some of his alcohol into one of the glasses. “For Prosperity.” Qrow said as they paid their respects.

They all remained silent, and they paid their respects with him.

To honour these men and women…who tried…fought…and lost.

 

**Ruby**

Ruby and Yang walked through the old abandoned home some more, and they headed outside to look around. The Sand Dunes still stretched out for miles and she sighed as she sat down on one of the rocks. “Needed some fresh air.” Ruby said with a chuckle, and Ruby nodded her head, which made Yang chuckle.

“I don’t blame ya, sis.” Yang said as she rolled her cybernetic arm round. She popped the stress from her neck and she looked around some more.

She looked up at the window and she narrowed her eyes.

Something was staring down at them.

It grinned…

And disappeared.

Yang stood up slowly after what she saw, which made the curtain inside blow slightly. “Ruby?” She asked.

Suddenly the ground exploded beneath them and threw them both against the wall of the building. They both grunted and they looked up with widened eyes as they saw the creature rise from the ground. Its telekinetic power lifted the rocks, the metal from the swings and even parts of the shed nearby into the air, to form its massive body. The huge arms and legs formed, and the white mask like face appeared in the centre of the torso with a hiss.

Ruby narrowed her eyes as she glared at the Creature of Grimm.

It was not what was responsible for the Hallucinations…

…but it was the Poltergeist.

“Geist…”

**  
**

****


	15. The Widow's Tear

**Qrow**

Ruby and Yang’s Uncle walked through the abandoned bones of the Hearthstone Chateau with his sister beside him. Valravn and Eryka had continued to search for the Grimm, for this was before the Geist had revealed itself to Ruby and Yang outside. “It’s a shame it took all this chaos to bring our family together.” Raven sadly said as she lifted up one of the knocked over bookshelves to get it out of their way. She leant it against the wall and Qrow walked past her, he did not say a word. She looked at him and she narrowed her eyes. “Qrow?” She said, then she reached out and grabbed his shoulder. “Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, I heard you.” He said, rather coldly to her, and he continued to walk through the house. Raven noticed his cold nature and she could not help but raise her eyebrow once more at him as she followed him.

“Alright, go ahead, say it.” She demanded as she followed him, he stopped and turned to face her with a blank expression.

“Say what?” He replied.

“Don’t insult my intelligence, brother. I know you, and I know when you have something on your mind.” Raven stated as she crossed her arms, with her right brow still pushed upwards judgingly.

“Fine…you want me to be honest?” He asked her, since for the first time it was just the two of them. He leant against the wall and he started to swipe some of the dust from it. “I think…that if you didn’t run when you did, if you didn’t abandon Tai and Yang…I dunno maybe things would give gone a bit more differently.” He said with a sigh, Raven scoffed and shook her head.

“You do know…that me doing that allowed your favourite daughter of Tai’s to be born, right?” She asked him, and he rolled his eyes.

“Ruby isn’t my favourite; I love both of them. I was there for them when they needed me, when Yang went searching for you when she was a little girl. Did you even know that?” Qrow questioned sternfully as he stared at his sister, who glared right back. They both had seemed quite good with each other at first, but there were moments like these were their problems and differences would arise.

“Yeah…I did…she shouldn’t have been so naïve. She would have gotten herself and Ruby killed that night.” Raven stated, and Qrow shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe if you hadn’t, that whole ordeal wouldn’t have happened. Maybe Summer would have been safe from Jackdaw, and maybe Yang would still have her arm.” Qrow growled with anger, he managed to reserve his resentment for his sister’s past decisions on most occasions but in this situation…he couldn’t stop himself. Raven on the other hand, her eyes were fiery with anger as she stared him down, and she stepped forward as if she was about to punch him.

“I…tried…” She growled.

“Well, not hard enough. Adam Taurus still cut her arm off and caused her to suffer for years after…I get it, we’re working together to take down Jackdaw once and for all. But if you expect me to forgive you for everything you ran from…you got another thing coming.” Qrow growled as he stared straight into his sister’s eyes.

“Is now the best time for this, brother?” She questioned.

“I dunno…is it?” He replied.

BANG!

The whole building shook when the Geist suddenly erupted out from the ground outside, as it tore the ground apart and used the boulders to form its sandy body. They could hear the ghostly howls of the monster from within the building, it’s very movements made the entire old building shake and creak, dust fell through the cracks and holes in the Chateau. The Branwen Twins stared up at the ceiling as the sand fell and the shaking ground from the powerful footfalls of the titan outside, the huge rocks casted shadows over the searing hot light of the sun outside.

Eryka slid down the stairs and she landed down in front of them, and Valravn slowly walked down the stairs behind them. Everyone emerged from where they were, Cinder from the Kitchen with Oscar, Nora and Ren were in the Offices still and Oscar was examining the Bedrooms with Vernal. “The hell’s happening?” Eryka called out.

“GEIST! GEIST!” They heard Ruby and Yang both scream from outside. Qrow and Raven seemed to snap out of their butting of heads, and they suddenly leapt up into the air, and shifted into their Corvid Forms. They flew up into the air and they soared through the creaking old house, and then they took off up into the ceiling and through the holes in the rooftop. The sun was almost blinding, and they dove down towards the battle outside.

Where Ruby and Yang were battling against the Geist together.

The Geist bellowed a haunting howl as it swung its massive arm towards the sisters, gigantic boulders bound and woven together by black telekinetic smoke, just like the Praetorian Knight that they faced years before. Yang punched her metal fist straight into the stone that came towards her, and she held her ground, the Geist forced her boots through the ground as she pushed her fist against its arm, and then Ember Celica popped out from her wrist. She fired and the impact caused the titan to recoil back with a grunt. Ruby shot past her sister in a flurry of red petals, and she slashed Crescent Rose straight across the stones, but the impact had very little effect on its body. It staggered from the sudden impact and it trampled through the dead Crop Fields left behind from the farm that this Plantation owned.

The ground almost seemed to be fluctuating with gravitational anomalies due to the presence of the massive Geist that had possessed all those boulders. It growled as it towered over them, a single glowing red white bone skull that protruded through the stone itself. Ruby saw it and she aimed her Rifle at it and fired, until the Geist blocked the attack with its massive arm. The bullets bounced off the huge boulders that floated and formed the forearm of the giant. It suddenly swung round and collided the other arm into her, so hard that it sent her crashing through one of the old Farm Sheds left behind. It shattered as she landed in there, planks of old wood crumbled and fell upon her where she landed.

She coughed the dust from her lungs, and she got up slowly, only for the surrounding shed to suddenly join the Geist in its form, which created a large wooden blade that it sharpened. It walked towards her and it went to crush her beneath its blade with a roar. Only for Yang to suddenly blast towards it and punch the blade with all her might. The fire from her Gauntlets blasting into the wood set it aflame, and it staggered away from where Ruby was. It snarled softly as it turned back and stared straight at the sisters who stood their ground. The wood crumbled into ash from the fire that burned it, and it growled creepily as it glared right at them.

Ruby spun Crescent Rose through her fingers and she looked at her sister. “Got a plan…hop on!” She called out, she held her scythe behind her and Yang jumped onto the curved blade. Ruby spun round and she fired, which launched Yang towards the huge Geist. She fired behind her body as well as she arched her cybernetic fist back to punch it straight in the face. The impact hit, and the Geist staggered back with a grunt, Yang landed atop the rocks that were scarred with glowing red veins of dark energy. She pounded her fists into the rock to break it apart repeatedly.

“DIE, PLEASE! She screamed as she continued to blast it apart, until the rocks started to shudder and vibrate, which allowed the creature to suddenly unleash a powerful blast of energy, that threw Yang off its twenty-foot-tall body like a toy. She yelled as she fell into the sand and turned to see Ruby bravely charging forward. She blasted through the legs, but the black smoke just pulled the pieces back together. She gasped and her silver eyes bulged wide open as she stared up at the giant hulking mass of rock and sand as it all swirled around within the armour.

It turned and suddenly brought the fist of stone down into the ground right in front of Ruby, the impact blasted hot sand into her face and threw her like a ragdoll across the desert and she crashed into the wall with a grunt. Her hood and whole red cape fell over her head and she squeaked in panic, trying to get it off, for all she could see was red. “HELP ME!” She screamed desperately.

“Ruby?” Yang asked as she tumbled next to her and pulled her cape off her face. She gasped with relief.

“Oh, by the gods! I thought I was swallowed by a BIG RED MONSTER!” She screamed with her legs shaking, and Yang sighed, shook her head before she just lifted her red cape back over her head, Ruby stared at it and her silver eyes grew. “Oh…” She softly said, even sounded disappointed too.

“You adorable little thing, I wish your cuteness could bring Grimm to their knees though.” Yang sighed as she stared at the pacing Geist that stared at them. It roared and that caused their hair to blow from the wind that was created from its powerful howl. Their eyes widened from the sudden roar, and their cheeks flapped in the gust.

“Wanna give it a shot?” Ruby asked, but then it started to charge straight toward them with a bellow, and it jumped at them, and her eyes widened. “I…don’t think it’s gonna work!” She screamed.

Suddenly the sky darkened and crackling pink forks of lightning spread through the dark clouds when suddenly Stormur Skeggox smashed through the old broken glass, charged with powerful explosive dust, it collided into the chest of the Geist. The roar of the creature was interrupted and there was a bright and large flash of electrical energy that blew the body apart, at least momentarily. It staggered back and the black smoke yanked the parts it had collected back onto the body, it spun and twisted as it stared at them, the rocks damaged badly from the attack. The Axe came spinning round and landed into the open hand of Nora Valkyrie, stood behind Ruby and Yang. The Geist growled as it approached them once more, and it started to gather the sand from the dunes around it, and it used it like a barrier.

Nora helped Ruby up and she checked her over. “Are you okay?” Nora asked with a worried voice, but luckily Ruby’s aura was still strong, despite the hard hits she took from the Geist.

“Yeah…big guy packs a punch.” Ruby said, Nora grinned as she stared at the creature and she held Stormur Skeggox tight and spun it through her fingers as Ren ran up to her side with Stormflower in his grasp. Suddenly two Corvids finally arrived, and they flew right past them all and they dove straight towards the creature and transformed back into their Human Forms. They both cut through the stone that surrounded the arm and Qrow fired his shotgun at the same time, whilst Raven used her fire blade, which dealt fire and explosive damage to it. The rock became superheated and exploded into a hundred pieces, pieces that the Geist swung round and launched towards them all with great force.

Qrow spun his sword through his fingers and he deflected the sharps shrapnel one at a time, and he landed down on the ground, and slid across the ground. “Sorry we’re late…” Qrow said to them as he held Harbinger in both his hands. Raven landed down beside him, and she stared the creature down, and watched its every move. Oscar leapt out of the window with Vernal and Eryka, who landed with their weapons at the ready.

Eryka drew her bow and whistled as Dulcis glided overhead and let out a cry, Oscar spun his chained hammers round like he was using grappling hook, and Vernal aimed her duel Wind and Fire firearms, blades sharpened and at the ready. Cinder landed too and she formed her Obsidian Axe from glass and fire, and she turned to see Valravn emerging from the darkness with his long staff in his hand, walking atop those stilts of which he had made for himself.

“Valravn…Valravn…” The voices kept creeping into their minds even now.

“We need to take this thing down.” Ruby said as she got up and spun Crescent Rose round.

“Any ideas? This thing’s old, will be a tough one to take down.” Cinder asked as she bounced on her toes.

“Geists rely on their surroundings, we need to break apart whatever it takes for armour. Eventually its form will lose strength and be destroyed. That’s when we strike and land the killing blow on the Geist itself. It’s not liked the Praetorian Knight back at Beacon…this should be easier.” Qrow explained as he stared the Geist down as it paced back and forth. It was old and smart enough to know when to strike, unlike most Grimm that they would encounter that simply attacked as soon as look at them.

This one is smart.

“Alright…we’ll work together, we need to destroy it, piece by piece.” Ruby said to them all as she aimed Crescent Rose at the creature. “Surround it and keep hitting it as hard as you can. Eventually its strength will give in, it’s not like the Praetorian Knight. And remember, aim for its face. It’s the weakness.” Ruby explained, and despite their differences, Cinder and Ruby agreed that they had greater enemies to face than each other.

Ruby shot forward with Yang, Nora and Ren, and she launched Nora just as she did with Yang. Nora darkened the scorching hot sky with her semblance, as she called upon the heavens and she blasted the lightning down from above and brought it down onto the top of the Geist’s head. It roared in anger as the electricity coursed through the glowing red veins of the beast. It staggered from the attack, and Nora flipped through the air as her Axe shifted back down into its Grenade Launcher form. “Whoo-hoo!” She cheered with immense joy, and fired the grenades from the barrel which exploded against the side of its head. The titan staggered away from the attack, when Ren sprinting with Yang and he jumped up and bounced off one of the rocks that protruded from the ground.

He dug Stormflower into the stone and began to climb his way up, to try and get to the face of the monster. He jumped up and he fired at its face, only for it to plough him down into the ground with immense force. He yelled in pain as the stone forced him down into the sand, so Yang blasted towards him to provide assistance. She punched straight through the stone and she rolled across the ground. Ren was free and he nodded his head, as he began to fire with Yang as the Geist launched the rocks down towards them. Cinder suddenly jumped in front of them and her eyes ignited, and she lifted up the sand with her Semblance, and thanks to the Fall Maiden Powers, she melted it down into strong glass. The impact caused the rocks to shatter, then she broke the glass and launched the shards up at the creature.

She nodded at them and she spun her Axe through her fingers as she blasted up into the air towards it. She flipped through the air and dug her axe into the chest of the creature which caused it to stagger back. Qrow on the other hand was coming in, and he slashed Harbinger in its Scythe form straight through one of the legs. The beast roared with agony as it collapsed down to one knee. It tried to get back up but Vernal blasted both of her firearms into the face of the creature, which scarred and burned the white bone matter that its face was made up of. The creature stumbled once more, which gave Oscar the chance that he needed.

He launched the hammer upwards and it collided into the knee, and they all started to work together. Raven stabbed her sword into the leg and she melted the bone down into lava, before switching blades into the ice dust coated one, that froze it down into obsidian instantly…which created a small explosion that blew the leg apart. The Geist howled in agony as it started to collapse to the ground.

Ruby looked at Yang and they both nodded, whilst Valravn watched from the building. He did not seem to be helping at all…until they looked up at the Geist…and suddenly its strange behaviour made sense. There were Crows and Ravens harassing it constantly, whatever his gifts were they clearly were powerful, and he managed to distract and disorientate the beast long enough for them all to deal some impressive damage. Eryka slid down the rooftop and she fired one of her explosive arrows from her Bow, which exploded as Dulcis slashed his talons across the face of the Geist.

It groaned in pain as Ruby and Yang got ready and they stared at the beast as it stumbled. They both blasted towards it and they slammed their weapons straight through the armoured body, which shattered into a hundred pieces. The Geist shrieked in shock as the body became useless, and it fled when Ruby and Yang passed by it and landed in the sand. Ruby spun round and aimed her Sniper Rifle at it.

But it was fast, and it suddenly dove down into the crop fields…

 

**Yang**

Ruby turned to Yang as she rounded the side of the barn.

"Yang! Crescent vortex!"

Yang huffed, rolling her shoulder. "Ruby, we haven't tried that one since before graduation!"

Ruby turned back to the Geist as it moved like a sludge through the farmland. Even in the blistering sun she could see the cornfields crack and shiver as something black and monstrous moved within... towards the tractors and Combine harvesters. Ruby's eyes widened in horror.

"Yang now!"

Yang groaned and lifted her fists. "This better work, or it's your head!"

Ruby gave a sheepish chuckle. "If it doesn't work... technically it'll be your head." And with that she spun through the air and threw crescent rose at Yang. Yang reeled her fist back and - with one eye slammed shut - punched the Scythe’s hilt, giving it an almighty boost, sending a red glowing propeller of sharp metal whizzing over the daytime farmland.

The Grimm sludge of rocks, corn and metal reared it's ugly head of the farm equipment, growling and breaking the tractor down into hunks of metal and rubber tyres.

Then, like the clap of rotor blades overhead, Crescent rose connected with the beast, beheading it and dropping it in a huge pile of smoky black rubble. Crescent rose skidded across the floor, stopping at the sole of Ruby's boot.

Yang's boots crunched gravel as she ran to her sister's side.

"Nice! Way to go, Ruby!"

"Thanks, sis." She picked up her weapon. "Your fists gave it the boost it needed."

"But it was your guidance... " Valravn's tones filled the air, startling the sisters. "... Your ability to look into the darkness and light up a small path to victory... without relying on your eyes."

Ruby watched the towering Branwen skulk out of the shadows, closing her eyes to deafen the constant echoes of his name.

"Thank you... Valravn." Ruby grew small, in on herself under his masked stare. The whipping winds made his wind chimes sing, drowning out the sounds of warping metal and rummaging rocks.

"And you... blood of Raven." He looked to Yang. Her returning gaze wasn't welcoming. "... You're taming of your rage is something I think all of us will watch with great interest."

"What does that mean?" Yang snapped. Valravn stared at her, before whipping his head to the creaking tractors and Combine harvesters.

The machines crushed and dented inwards, forming a mangled metal torso. Legs of rubble and corn sprouted, black smoke oozing through the gaps and onto the soil.

The Geist reared it's head with a gurgle and brandished the Combine harvester's blades - now turned sharpened claws.

"It's not dead!" Ruby lifted her weapon.

"How observant." Valravn spun his staff through his fingers behind Yang and Ruby. The Geist growled and swiped it's huge paw of metal straight into them - as Valravn wrapped himself around the two children in a ball of black corvid birds.

The trio crashed and tumbled through the wall of the house, careening through the living room and eventually coming to rest at the leg of a grand piano. Yang's head hit the side and caused several notes to chime from the instrument.

Silence reigned, until Ruby stirred and sat up. She blinked groggily, as Valravn rolled off of them with a groan. Dead ravens lay across the floor, before fragmenting into feathers, and fluttering back soundlessly to Valravn.

Ruby panted, before wheezing and coughing through the settling dust.

"Yang?" She spluttered. Her sister sat up with a groan, rubbing her head.

"Wha? What... where are we?"

"In the house." Ruby looked to the way they came in, the hole sealed with rubble and wood. "We can find another way out. C'mon, get up." she helped her older sister up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Yang said repeatedly to Ruby's doting. "I'm fine!" she snapped, Ruby flinching back. Yang softened instantly. "I-I'm... I'm sorry. Just... C'mon. We got a monster to kill."

"I fear... " Valravn was stood in the room, fingers brushing over the psychedelic cobwebs across the ceiling and walls. "... We're the monster's prey."

"It's a Geist, I've killed many of em." Yang took Ruby's hand. "C'mon Ruby, we gotta go help the others."

"Val! Val, c'mon!" Ruby called back, echoing up the stairs. Val sighed, picking up his staff.

"Yang!" Ruby tried to break her grip as she dragged them down the stairs, through cobwebs, thick, thick cobwebs. "Yang, stop it!"

"Forget him, Ruby! My priority is you, okay! My... " Yang sighed. "You're what I have to protect."

Ruby sighed, nodding at her shoes, before looking back up.

"Yang, I-"

She didn't say another word, only slurred, because of the arrow through her eye and protruding out the back of hr head. Yang didn't say anything. She just looked at what her brain wasn't processing. Ruby slurred and swayed, before her eye became lifeless and empty, and she fell to the floor with a thump.

"Ruby..." Yang said it like a question. "RUBY!" she suddenly screamed, turning to see her attacker over her shoulder.

There. An amber light at the end of the dark hall. Her bow raised, flames crackling around her fingers. Long black hair over her shoulder, a horrid smirk on her face. A dress red and ornate with flames and swirls that glow like embers themselves.

"Aww... " Cinder cooed. "Just like the girl I killed on top of the tower. An arrow tends to put most things beautiful and pure to the same end."

Yang screamed and cried, turning to Ruby's body... as it dissolved into millions of spiders, scuttling away into the darkness.

"W-Wha? What I?" Yang staggered back, tripping down the steps to Cinder's clacking heels. She sat up, shaking her head. Cinder's heels stopped clacking with each sultry step. The sway of her hips faded; the womanly physic shifted male. Dark and foreboding. Jet black, with veins of glowing red running up the torso.

No. Not veins. Stems. Connected to Roses.

The hair turned red, and horns sprouted from the brow.

"Couldn't even protect Blake." He snarled, lifting his sword. "How on Remnant were you going to protect your sister?!"

Yang screamed and lifted her arm to block the blade. It cleaved through the arm like it was nothing. Yang, panting and crying, looked to her flesh arm as it melted and flaked into embers and ashes, blowing away to reveal the robot arm beneath.

"A pale imitation of the real thing, huh?" Adam's voice echoed as Yang tried to steady her shaking wrist. She sat up, trying to get her head under control. "Blake's blood. Ruby's blood. Weiss; blood. All that red... staining you in and out... cos you couldn't save them. Not a drop of them."

Yang looked down at her clacking knees, to see her outfit soaking dark red, up and over her thighs, to her hips, to her stomach, up and over her shoulders. Even her hair dyed red with blood. She trembled in the darkness, until suddenly Adam was before her, grinning down at her.

"You'll carry the weight of their blood forever. Me? I carry it till I wipe my blade clean." He laughed. Yang screamed in rage as her eyes finally joined the rest of her in turning red, punching Adam so hard he shattered like a mirror. His laughed echoed and faded throughout the house.

"A mirror can be broken. A reflection can be shattered. But a shadow? That's forever." Adam's voice echoed.

"Unless you shine a little light." Yang shakily said. She blew out a breath. "R-Ruby? Ruby, where are you? I know this isn't real... I... W-Was I drugged? How hard did I hit my head?" Yang rubbed the spot.

She pressed her hands to the walls to try and feel her way through the dark house. A hand reached out and she accepted it.

"Ruby!"

She tugged the wrist, and she pulled the tall blonde out of the shadow, bumping into her. Herself.

Yang staggered back, looking her up and down. it was her. From day one at Beacon.

"Don't worry, sis! I'll look out for you!" She cheerily said. Current Yang looked her up and down.

"Naive." Yang frowned. She couldn't help but look at her older self's arms. Both pale skin. She looked at her own. That shaking metal. "I was so naive."

"Still are." Yang replied, startling her to the sadistic grinning younger self before her. "Just some blonde bimbo playing in the big leagues. Nothing more than a hot head."

Yang stepped back from her approaching self. "Aww, what's the matter, Yang? Running out of arms to trade for your friends lives. How many screw ups till you're more metal than skin? How many more screw ups?"

Yang held her trembling metal wrist. "Many more... I'm sure." She blew out a shaky breath. "But I learn from them. And I grow. So yeah, I'll screw up again. But I'll learn from it!" She opened her eyes and gasped.

Salem stood before her. "You don't get a second chance. Not with me." She lifted a horrific black sword and swung, cutting Yang down into fragments of ash.

Yang looked down at the sword in her hands, at the Yang she'd just struck down. She dropped it with a soundless clang, staggering back, bumping into-

"Yang!" Ruby touched her shoulder, Yang screaming and turning so fast she nearly broke her back. Ruby quickly took her sister's shoulders in her hands. "Whoa! Whoa! What's wrong?"

Yang, eyes filled with tears, hugged her sister. "Please be real! Pleeeeeaaaase." She sobbed into her sister's neck. Ruby - very confused, slowly began to hug her sister back.

"What happened Yang?"

"I dunno." Yang sniffled, never letting go. "I don't wanna know."

 

**Ruby**

 

Ruby frowned, before pulling her sister back out of the hug. She flashed her a warm smile.

"I'm here. I'm real." Ruby beamed. Yang smiled, then smirked.

Then she stabbed Ruby in the belly. That thin rapier-like blade straight through the scar tissue of where it got her last time. Yang smirked and grinned, before shifting back into Neo. Pink and brown eyes glared into Ruby's as she slowly slid back off the blade, staggering and cupping the slipper red wound.

"Ho, ho, little red, little red!" He stepped out the nearest doorway, twirling his cane and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "C'mon let's take a walk, you and me!"

Red hair tucked under his hat as he slipped it on. "Been a while, huh?"

Ruby panted, looking down at her wound. She wheezed, tasting copper at the back of her throat. Roman pat her back.

"Yeah, been a while. I mean, gotta say, well done! You looked the end in the eyes, and you gave em the ol' razzle dazzle, huh? I mean what?! Glowing eyes that turn stuff to stone?! Wow, imagine what we could have done, if you hadn't killed me."

"I didn't... I didn't mean for that-"

"I know, little red. I'm in your head, remember. I mean, between you and me, it was kinda the Grimm that got me, so don't go stealing all the credit. Ah, we're here. Stop number one on Ruby's mind trip."

Ruby stepped forward, cupping her wound and looking up at the sky above. Full of stars encircling a broken moon. She turned to the chill racing up her spine. A bow, aimed at a misguided, brave girl. She panted, dropping to a knee on the rubble strewn roof.

"Pyrrha?" Ruby panted.

Roman sighed, crouching at her side. "What could have been."

Cinder released the arrow and through it went. Pyrrha spluttered, grew limp, and faded into glowing embers.

"But we look at door number two..." He angled Ruby's tear dripping chin down to the puddle below. "You see? That's what happened. She lived, She and her lover to be, all happy and together cos you got there on time."

Ruby let a small smile grace her lips at the reflection, until her tear splashed the puddle and distorted it.

"But... you disturbed that image, didn't you? Didn't trust em enough for this little adventure you're on. Friendships boiled away..."

Ruby looked at the reflection. Weiss and Blake, fighting with Yang and herself. Jaune and Pyrrha battling violently against Nora and Ren. She shook her head, splashing her hands in the puddle to change it, until she pulled her hands back. The ripples faded, and the calm water reflected her mother's face.

"Oh." Roman said. "Momma Rose, I assume?"

Ruby smiled, sniffing and wiping her eyes. Then a bead of red from her wound spilt into the puddle. Blood ran like ink, up into Summer's face. She gasped, and her throat slit open, to join Ruby's blood in the puddle.

"Mom!" Ruby screamed as Jackdaw's face grinned over Summer's lifeless head. Then Ruby's eyes ignited white and wiped the canvas.

Ruby sat up off the floor, shaking her head. Roman sat up beside her.

"Whoo! What a set of eyes you got on ya, little red!" He chuckled, patting his pants free of dust. Ruby looked at her wound, cupping the slippery surface. "Oh, c’mon. That'll be fine. Just a scratch."

Ruby looked down the lengthy corridor of darkness, until a flickering light at the end illuminated a huge black silhouette. Then the silhouette began to move towards her. A top hat sprouted above his head. And long blades extended from his wrists, scraping down the hallway walls.

Ruby yelped and shuffled back on the ground as the huge silhouette made it's way towards her, sounds of metal scraping metal echoing down the hall.

Then the entire hallway rolled over onto it's side, crumbling away and vanishing completely, leaving Ruby to thump her head back against the floor, groaning and clutching her wound.

Then she blinked up at the stars forming in the darkness above her. Each one twinkling and glistening. The Moon rose overhead, looming above silently. Then a sharp whip of light cracked against the moon, wrapping and coiling around it's broken surface. The taut cable of light began to drag the moon down, the debris of it's broken body following it down and eventually slotting all the pieces back into place.

Ruby went to sit up, but a foot slammed down on her chest, making her cry out. Her wincing eyes opened and tracked the pale white calve up over the black dress with red embroidery. Then eyes of the same colour stared down.

"Never fear the shattered Moon... " Salem said, holding the full moon in her hand. "Fear the moon becoming whole." She grinned, before crushing it into powder.

Ruby screamed just as the hallway lit up and she was back to foot of the steps, panting and drenched in sweat. She gulped to wrack her breathing, cupping over her pounding heart. She moved her hand away from the wound, to find nothing there, not a tear in fabric, not a belt out of place. She blew out a trembled breath, hugging her knees and taking a moment to understand all she'd seen. If anything was real.

 

**Qrow**

The Geist roared as it slashed the massive shards of metal it used like claws at them, Qrow rolled back and he deflected the incoming shards and rocks launched from it. The Geist was not giving up, and none of them had any idea of what Ruby and Yang were experiencing inside the Chateau, and nobody had seen Valravn. They all had lost all sight of him, Qrow grit his teeth and he charged forward and he slid underneath the diving attack from the creature as it slammed down into the ground with great force. It spun round and the armour plating formed together to construct a shield that blocked Cinder’s fireball that she launched towards it.

It staggered from the fiery attack, but it had very little effect as the flames burned across the flammable wood that was contained inside of its body. It marched closer and Raven kept on slashing through its body with Vernal beside her. She landed down behind the Geist with Qrow next to her and she looked around. “Where’s Yang and Ruby?” She asked with worry, whilst Cinder took her axe and she roared. She rode the hot air and the fire beneath her as she buried her axe down into the shoulder of the creature, and she started to send icy cold energy from her body into the metal to try and turn it ridged. But the Geist suddenly broke apart, the telekinetic energy seemed to explode its body so then it would throw the Learning Fall Maiden from her position on its body, and then it came back together.

That…that really did make them remember the Praetorian Knight, and how that monster fought. It was a real pain.

“Yang? Ruby!” Qrow called out desperately, but they could not hear him inside the house. Nora landed down behind them after she dealt quite a heavy blow to one of the arms, pink electricity crackled across her body as she stood there and she nodded with glowing pink eyes.

“What’s wrong?” She asked with concern.

“Ruby and Yang…we can’t see them.” Qrow answered.

“Valravn neither.” She added.

“I’ll find them. Eryka, Oscar! Follow me! We need to find them!” Nora called out, neither of them decided to argue with her. They followed her as she ran under the legs of the Geist and headed towards the open doors of the Chateau, which left the following outside:

Qrow, Raven, Cinder, Vernal and Ren.

Qrow turned and he stared at the massive Geist as it turned to face them with a growl, he looked at the others and they were all ready. Cinder formed a second Battleaxe in her other hand and her eye ignited into fire. Raven drew her sword, Ren spun Stormflower through his fingers and Vernal charged up her duel pistols. “Let’s bring this bastard down!” Qrow said with a confident smirk as he flicked his sword upwards and the blade extended. He charged forward and the Geist roared furiously, and it slammed its metal and rock fist down into the ground where he charged. He rolled aside from its attack and he transformed into Crow form, and he flew around its body, and as he glided around it, Cinder blasted straight through the shoulder of the giant and it staggered. It turned to stare at the Fall Maiden who twisted round and launched her Axe down towards the giant monster.

The axe spun through the air and it exploded into flames and ice as soon as it crashed into its arm, the stones and metal started to fall one by one as the strength that the dying Geist had was starting to wain. The Geist growled and it suddenly ripped an old rusted car from the ground and launched it towards Cinder and she gasped, and she dropped down to dodge the incoming attack, where Ren slid across the dunes of sand and he fired Stormflower repeatedly at it as he moved around it. The giant watched him and Ren smiled, and he threw his second Automatic Machine Pistol towards it, and it spun like a boomerang into the face of the creature, which cut a deep wound into the bone. It staggered and snarled a deep growl, and it opened out its arms as it roared, and suddenly red crackling energy built up around it.

“It’s going berserk! Keep your eyes open!” Vernal warned as she ran like Ren was, he did not have the ability to use the sky like Qrow, Raven and Cinder could, she vaulted over the rocks that started to fall from the sky, firing Wind and Fire into whatever weaknesses she could find on the creature. She looked up and her eyes lit up with hope, for she saw an old crane that must have once been used for moving large shipments was still up, so she fired a beam of energy into the support, which caused the hook top plummet down and puncture through its arm. It staggered and roared in pain, Raven shot up towards it with her brother as he transformed and slashed Harbinger through the spine of the creature and fired his shotgun at the face of it. Raven caught onto the hook of the crane and she wrapped it around the arm and she pulled it with all her might as she fell.

The energy could only stretch so much, and it roared in agony as the black smoke tore and the arm completely crumbled around it. The red glyph formed where the arm once was and the long creepy humanoid Grimm Arm emerged from the body and it stood before them. It took that arm and it slashed it down at Ren as he rolled out of the way. He slid across the sand and fired both Stormflower Pistols at its face as it stormed towards him, until Cinder dug her Axe into the side of its head, and the Geist roared in agony as she held onto it, blinding its one eye. It staggered and tried to pull her off. “YEAH! THAT HURTS, DOESN’T IT?” She yelled, twisting the obsidian blade inside of its face.

“Hold it there, Cinder!” Qrow called as he transformed and flew up into the air with his sister. They both formed back into their Human Bodies, and they twisted round with their swords extended. They both yelled and they blasted down towards it, and slashed both the Odachi and Harbinger straight through the whole body. The metal and the rock exploded into a thousand pieces, and the Geist was thrown from the destroyed body again. They both landed and Cinder slammed down on one knee behind them.

The Geist released a creepy whispery snarl, and it stared at them, and tried to flee. Ren threw Stormflower and it spun after it, it turned and the single damaged eye widened, before it was beheaded by his pistol. It returned back to him and he holstered them both with a stylish twirl.

The Geist was dead.

**Nora**

"Ruby?! Yang?! Oh c'mon, where are you guys?!" Nora yelled, echoing through the house. Then a sound caused her to look down. A small orange haired girl peaked around the door. She was no older than two or three. Very, very small.

"Oh... hey little one. I'm not going to hurt ya." Nora cooed, trying to coax the whimpering child out. "Kiddo?"

"She can't hear you." Came a demonic voice behind, startling Nora to turn around. Two huge hands shot of the dark, wrapping themselves around her neck and lifting her off the ground. Nora wheezed and spluttered, barely able to hear the clacking hooves in the shadows.

The long arms choking her quickly withdrew back into the darkness with her in grip, right up to the skeletal horse's head, and the imp's glaring stare atop it. Nora tried to cry out but couldn't.

"... She can't hear you, nobody ever has, have they?" The Imp's glowing mouth hung limply. "A small orphan lost and alone. No Mother. No Father. No Uncle. No Aunt. Nothing. All left you, didn't they? In a thatch cot, at someone's rainy doorstep. Only they didn't answer. Nobody did. Nobody wanted an orphan, especially a Valkyrie with no wings!"

He threw her down and she hit the shadowy floor with a thud. She wheezed and coughed, spluttering. The hooves trotted slowly around her as she coughed and gagged.

"... A mother. A Faunus, yes? Yeeeees, A Faunus. Beautiful wings on her back, almost deemed fit by Pegasus himself." The Imp laughed atop the Nuckelavee. "But it wasn't to be. The townsfolk, they don't like it..." The Horse head loomed over her shoulder, foggy breath trembling over her skin. "They see her without deer Husband Valkyrie one day... A baby in the pram."

Nora shut her eyes, hugging her knees.

"... Knives were drawn. Together a town united, to clip a woman's wings. They left. She bled. You cried in the pram. In the end. In the end. A Father's depression and despair turned to hatred... of an innocent baby that reminded him... of her."

Nora sobbed. "Pleeeeeaaaase stop."

The Nuckelavee laughed, rearing it's heads back up. "So, he left you. Lost. And alone. On a doorstep. A doorstep to a home you could never be part of!"

Nora screamed and shot her hands out at the beast, waves of crackling pink lightning ripping through the roaring beast until it fragmented into lotus flowers, fluttering through the breeze-less air. Her eyes streaming, she looked to her hands. trembling, yes, but a static buzzed around them. Pink in hue.

"Nobody cares about you." Ren said, Nora startling to the voice.

"Nobody at all." Jaune's usually warm voice snapped. Nora flit her head to the darkest corner it came from.

"Who could love a motherless? A fatherless? A... loner." Pyrrha laughed uncharacteristically. Nora shut her eyes and clapped her hands over her ears.

"You didn't trust us, Nora." Jaune scoffed. "The only family you've ever had, and you turned your back on us? I thought you'd be grateful!"

"Thought you'd be happy that at least someone accepted you!" Pyrrha snapped.

"We obviously weren't good enough for her." Jaune slurred.

Nora shook her head. "That's not true! I love you, you three are all I have!"

Silence.

"Then why didn't you come to us?" Jaune and Pyrrha said, just as Jaune's hand wrapped around her throat. He grinned down at her horrifically, lifting her off the ground. His armour was dark, the gold now bronze. His eyes were crackling and black, with piercing purple irises. Nora wheezed and kicked her legs uselessly, stretching her hand out at the dark and pressing the pad on her glove.

Stormur Skeggox flew out of the shadows and into her hand as Jaune laughed demonically at her, rearing his sword back to cleave flesh. Nora screamed through tears and slammed the axe down into his shoulder, parting him in two and burying the axe blade deep into his ribs.

She blinked and gasped over fresh tears as Ren wheezed and spewed blood, looking at the axe in his chest. "Nora? Why? I-I was the only one who loved you? Why would you hurt me? Why would you kill me?"

"No, no, no please, please! Stop this please! PLEASE!"

Ren grinned and drew the axe from his chest, bringing it down on Nora, who awoke in the room on the floor, panting and scrambling along the polished wood.

 

**Eryka**

 

With her bow raised, she stepped through the house. Blinking her eyes, they turned gold. She scanned the trails of aura moving through the house, until she came to the ajar door of a child’s room. It was obvious. The hand painting all over the door, the crooked keep out sign.

She blew out a breath and slowly opened the door, each creak of old wood making her wince. There, in the middle of the room was a small cot. She looked at it, and a familiarity washed over her. She knew this room. The finger painting on the door, the toys in the corner, the box decorated with two names written in blue:

Eryka and Neptune's toys!

She lowered her bow, frowning in confusion. A gurgle came from the cot. She slowly approached, loomed over it in the dark and looked in cautiously to the fidgeting baby with blue hair. She gasped and stepped back, just as the door slammed behind her, startling her to spin around, bow raised.

A little girl with a blue ponytail ran past as if Eryka wasn't there, trembling in her small onesie.

"S'okay, s'okay Neppy! M'here!" The little girl said through tears, picking up the bread knife she'd brought in, holding it towards the door, setting the cot behind her protectively. Neptune cried in the cot as the door's handle jiggled. Adult Eryka stepped back and lifted her bow, pulling back on the string.

Then the door opened, slammed open. Two smoky silhouettes stood there, looking in, eyeless.

"Oh shit, Yo this house ain't empty after all! They got kids in here, Vermil!"

"No parents though, so who cares. Just loot the place, c'mon. And be quick about it!"

"Err, this girl's got a knife though."

"Yeah, and you got a gun? It's a kid, bro! Just hurry up, before anyone gets back!"

"St-stay away from my baby brother!" The little girl screamed, the knife shaking in her grip.

"You're not gonna do me with that knife kid. Now c'mon, put it down."

Then the little girl screamed in rage and ran at the men, lifting the knife.

"Whoa, whoa!" He cried, lifting his gun. A loud flash and the whole room crumbled into ashes, blowing around Eryka as she stood and stared at the scene before her.

"She wasn't a mother. A mother care's for her kids, not just gives birth to em!" A teen woman's voice cried in the murky haze, until figures of smoke materialised around her.

"And in the red corner! They call him the blood bringer, cos he'll beat the red stuff outta ya! It's Blood Kane! And... in the blue corner... s-some chick from Mistral, I dunno. I know who my money's on."

"And I won." Eryka mumbled, looking down at her trembling hands, the gloves and tattoos that attempted to hide all her scars.

"The girl won! I don't believe it! The girl won!"

"People didn't like that." Eryka shakily said as the smoky silhouette of Blood Kane stood and drew a long knife, running at Eryka's smoky shadow in rage. "And I definitely didn't win that." She blinked as tears dripped off her lashes, running her hand over her taut stomach, the raised ridges of scar tissue.

The realm of ash and murky white light faded away, until whizzing chunks of metal whipped by her head at supersonic speeds. She yelped and ducked, as all those blades and knives flew up to form the shape of a man. A floating man with huge wings on his back.

His eyes flit down and his bottom jaw turned from human flesh to mechanical pieces. Like a permanent gas mask, set further back than his original jaw.

As skin and flesh began to bubble up and over his torso, his formed body dropped to his feet with a thump. He looked up, those mechanised wings whirring on his back.

"I flew too close to the sun? I did?! You can't protect the old man from me forever! YOU CAN'T!" He roared, launching forward and grabbing her throat, using his wings to roar across a landscape of corpses. He slammed her down and dragged her through the bodies - all of which were Neptune. An entire field of dead Neptune's.

Eryka screamed and clawed at her assailant to free herself, and he suddenly shot upwards into the sky, holding her out as they drew near the sun. A squawk got her attention. With a giddy smile of relief, she watched Dulcis fly straight up towards them to save her.

But the nearer they got to the sun, Dulcis began to melt. His beak dripped like wax, his feather's fell away, until nothing but feather's in the breeze remained. And even they caught fire and became embers. Eryka stared in horror at the embers of her beloved companion falling to the meadows of dead Neptune's below.

"Ya flew too close to the sun, girl." Her assailant scoffed with metallic breaths. Then he let go, and let her fall back to the world below, straight into the piles of Neptune's bodies.

She clawed her way to the surface, but the bodies suddenly sat up, decaying Neptune's clawing at her and trying to drag her under, until her screams faded to nothingness.

And she gasped awake in the house.

Alone…and back in reality.

Whatever was causing these hallucinations…it had to be found, before they lost their minds.

 

**Ruby**

She staggered through the bending hallways, where she saw the hands of everyone she feared to lose, as they climbed out from the walls and groaned like zombies. She could not even shake the feeling as she tried to find a way out, the voices were completely unnatural, and she could not even identify what they were saying. But she kept moving, no matter what she kept moving. She had to, if she stopped they would take her. It felt like Neo was right behind her, but she knew she wasn’t…she couldn’t be.

This place, it was endless, it felt like it was anyway.

The Hallucinations, the Illusions…it was starting to become difficult to tell what was real and what wasn’t. She turned and she screamed in terror, as suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around her. She staggered and she opened her silver eyes, arms were not around her…not like she thought…they were just on her shoulders. “Ruby? Are you with me?” Oscar asked her as he looked into her silver eyes. Her dazed expression started to fade and her silver eyes almost seemed to light up.

She was back…at least…for now…

“I…I…” Ruby couldn’t speak, her mind was still melted from everything she had just experienced, and it was clear that Oscar was starting to experience it as well. He shook his head and he rubbed his eyes as he looked around. His pupils shrank with fear and then they dilated, it was bizarre. “Oscar?” She slurred, she held onto him, and it felt like everything became extremely heavy, and something was watching him. That was when they both saw it…the manifestation of their fear.

They saw the floorboards crack and burst open, as metal clawed hands suddenly emerged from underneath them, and it rose up from the surface of the floor. Their eyes widened from what they saw, as the bones snapped and bent in ways they shouldn’t, it set the top hat atop the ripped and rotten skin as it stared into their eyes with burning red irises. It had a long beak and a feathers made from swords.

They wanted to run…

They were going to…

“Do not flee from it.” The voice of Valravn finally returned, and they both turned to see him behind them. He held his staff in his hand as he stared at the hallucination that they could see, which meant he was seeing the same thing.

“H-How can…” Ruby slurred, it was like she was drunk.

“The Creature of Grimm we seek, it would only show the same image to those who were close to finding it. Remember this – a reflection could be horrifying, but like a shadow, it cannot cause a bruise.” He spoke, which simply meant, it was not real. Ruby and Oscar shook their heads to push this drowsy feeling from their minds. So they heeded his advice and they approached the twisted and demonic form that must have been what they pictured Jack the Ripper looking like.

The closer they got…it started to fade away…the visions were becoming less and less powerful on them, so they kept moving. They turned the corner and they found the Bedroom that Vernal found earlier, and they stared at it…

…they saw it…

The Source of the Illusions.

There was a Spider in the Mirror by the bed, it was black with white and red markings, and yet it could affect an entire house. Ruby stared at it, and she tried to lift her Rifle, but the weight suddenly became so great that she could not even do that. Neither could Oscar…even Valravn was struggling to stay upright, he was hugging his Staff to stay upright, leant against the wall as well. “The Spider…must…be eradicated.” Valravn softly said to them with his dark and croaky voice.

Oscar collapsed, he could not withstand the power that the small spider was inflicting upon them, but Ruby kept getting closer. And with every step, she started to see things again. Neo leapt out from the closet to stab her, Roman was laughing at her Cinder’s voice was nearby and she felt the bad memories. On the bed she saw the mangled remains of Penny, where Pyrrha accidentally shredded her body.

It nearly did the same…

…but instead…she closed her eyes.

She blinded herself from the pain that the Spider was forcing her to see. She just…listened…she just…focused. She held her Sniper Rifle and Valravn watched her with disbelief, as the barrel and the crosshairs faced the little Creature of Grimm. She blew out a calm and focused breath, and her large silver eyes opened, and all the hallucinations were gone. She could see and think clearly…and she had one thing to say to the creature.

“I see you…” She said, and pulled the trigger, the rifle cracked and launched the bullet towards the creature and it shattered then mirror. The Spider disintegrated immediately and faded away from them all…and every single web in the entire house crumbled away into dust around them. Nora and Eryka got up off the floor and so did Yang as they looked around with widened eyes. As soon as the webs were destroyed…the effects were lifted.

And for the first time since the Vacuo Mafia were slaughtered…the Hearthstone Chateau felt…at peace.

 

**Valravn**

“The Widow’s Tear…” He began, they were all sat outside, and Ren was helping them all recover from what they experienced in there. He calmed their emotions with his semblance as he held their hands, Nora was leant up and rested her head on his shoulder, hugging his arm and holding his hand. Yang was next to Ruby and so was Oscar, Eryka was sat and she held her fist where the scars of her past had been made.

They took a hit…one to the mind…

“It is a very rare Creature of Grimm.” Valravn spoke, and strangely, he was not speaking in riddles like he normally would be. Perhaps, he did not need to be speaking in Riddles right now, the mysteries continued to surround this man but at least one was answered…his Riddles in his sentences were not something he naturally did. “I should have expected it would be here, as soon as I saw the webs and sensed the illusions, I should have warned you all.” He explained to them all.

“What do you mean?” Vernal asked curiously, so Valravn leant forward.

“Well, Widow’s Tears are drawn to places of great tragedy and betrayal. The residue of negativity would bring them here and they would feed off that. But if others arrived, it would amplify those emotions with hallucinations…ones that it spread with the webs that released hallucinogenic pheromones into the area. And I don’t know if you noticed, but the whole house was covered in webbing.” Valravn explained and they all shuddered.

“I…I just thought that was from spiders.” Cinder assumed.

“And you were right to think so, Widows Tears normally are found long before they could have the effect we experienced.” He explained to them as they all nursed their wounds. He then looked at Ruby. “And I was impressed to see you manage to resist the level of hallucinations that it was hitting you with at the end, Miss Rose. Very few have that drive.” He explained, and complimented. Qrow and Raven looked at their Uncle with surprise.

“With the Widow’s Tear dead…and the Geist killed, is our job done?” Yang asked softly, and Qrow nodded his head in agreement.

“We better get paid overtime for this one.” Cinder scoffed.

“That makes two of us.” Raven agreed with the nod of her head. But there was one small thing that lingered on Ruby’s mind as she looked at Valravn. Nothing ever seemed to get to him…so why was his hand shaking?

“Valravn?” She asked, and he turned sharply. She jolted at first but her nerves calmed. “W-What…did you see?” She asked him, and he stared right at her for what felt like an eternity.

“Nothing…just dust in the void.” Valravn swiftly answered and he looked down at his hands as he sat there.

Ruby did not press further but she was not stupid, she knew he was lying.

And so did he, because he could see what the Widow’s Tear showed him…

…his one fear.

He saw them all.

Qrow…

Raven…

…Jackdaw…

All dead.

And he wasn’t.

His one fear? Is losing the only thing that has ever mattered to him – Family.

 

 


	16. Bargain Completed

**Jaune**

The sun was beginning to set over the Vacuo Dunes, the Black Gallows Wasp soared across the eb and flowing sands.

Sat inside of the Wasp were the Hunters: Jaune, Pyrrha, Weiss and Blake – with Winter and Killian with them as well. Jaune had his arm around Pyrrha who was leant up against him affectionately and she was still asleep. He gently caressed her firm hand as the Wasp jolted every now and then from the turbulence of Vacuo’s Summer Winds, they could feel the heat even from inside the heavily armoured and air conditioned aircraft. Weiss and Blake looked at the two of them as they sat there, and then at Winter who was stood up, her hand held onto the handles that stuck out from the ceiling.

“Vacuo…what a wasteland, and we haven’t even gotten to the Kingdom yet.” Weiss sighed as she stared out at the deserts, and Blake felt the same way, and was also stunned.

“No wonder Sun had such negative things to say about Vacuo, Fox too. Not exactly picturesque.” Blake stated as she stared at the lapping waves of sand, and the swallowed towns that sinkholes and sandstorms had consumed over time. They even could see the faint black blotches of where Grimm were lurking. Like the Black Smog but nowhere near as massive, literally like dark imperfections on a canvas of sand.

“Makes sense why he preferred Beacon over Shade Academy…and his wardrobe decisions makes more sense…at least it used to. How is he doing by the way? He still buttons up his shirt.” Weiss commented, everyone noticed that change in Sun’s style. He no longer wore the same white T-Shirt, completely unbuttoned and exposing his muscular chest, but the truth was simple.

He was struggling, badly, with his new insecurities. “The scar still gets to him, I’m worried about him, honestly. He keeps telling me he’s okay…but I sometimes wake up in the night to hear him crying. Or he isn’t in bed…or something like that.” Blake explained as she looked at Weiss. The Schnee nodded her head, she could relate to Sun on this topic, and she touched the scar down her eye.

“Yeah…I know what he’s going through. Not on the same level, mind you, but I know. Has he been going to therapy? Having his girlfriend with him helps, but there could be smaller things eating away at him. Remember how much he blamed himself for what happened to Oobleck?” Weiss asked her, and Blake nodded her head with a sigh. It was the most frightening thing in the world for a partner, to see their other half struggling in such a terrible way, against something that could not be patched up with a bandage.

“He does…but he would sometimes find some kind of get-out clause to be able to avoid going there. Maybe he wanted to just hang out with me, or be with his team and Neptune…or something else would come up. I really worry about him…he never lies to me, he can’t lie to save his life, he’s dangerously honest.” Blake even giggled at that, it was something she found absolutely adorable in her boyfriend. It was completely unlike what she was used to expecting from people after being with Adam, since he would lie and mess with her head all the time.

But Sun?

He was honest, completely honest, even seeing him try to lie was adorable because he couldn’t be more obvious and would fold as soon as he told the lie. Weiss chuckled too, because it was something similar with Neptune. “Yeah, Neptune’s just like Sun in that kind of way. Except when he tries to lie to me, he constantly makes stupid puns and jokes.” Weiss stated, which made Blake chuckle as well and she shook her head.

“Sounds like Yang.” Blake said.

“She still not give you back that book?” Weiss inquired and Blake shook her head with stern amber eyes.

“Nope…I promise I’m not bitter.” She sarcastically stated, since Yang…pretty much never gave the books back when she agreed on it. Yang was not an avid reader like her Team Partner was, so it would take forever for her to give a book back to her when she was done with it.

Weiss chuckled, Blake had gotten much funnier than she was back in the early days of Team R.W.B.Y, she was more comfortable around them, and parts of both Yang and Ruby had rubbed off on her. She was more open with them, and was happier to show her emotions to people. Hell she even liked talking to Team C.R.D.L now, even after how their friendship with the team started out. But they made great leaps to make things right.

They looked at Jaune and Pyrrha to see the red headed Spartan finally wake up again, she managed to sleep so peacefully on an aircraft for ages. She rubbed her exhausted emerald green eyes as she sat upright. “Welcome back.” Weiss greeted with a smile.

“Oof…how long was I asleep?” She curiously inquired with a heavy yawn.

“About…six hours?” Winter chimed in as she turned to walk over to the seat next to her little sister.

“Six?” She asked and Jaune nodded his head.

“I can feel my shoulder again…” He chuckled as he rolled his arm round, and felt the shoulder blade pop. The door to the cockpit opens, and they all turn their gaze to see Killian emerge from it. He was in there, speaking with the pilot for around half an hour before he came back. He walked inside and he sat back down.

“We’re about thirty minutes out from Vacuo.” Killian informed as he sat down in the seat and he grabbed the collar piece that the device attached to his sternum was attached to. All five of them were curious about this device. It was unlike any medical respirator they had ever seen, it was extremely complex and seemed to require quite a lot of power. They even saw some kind of cable that went round his back and there was some sort of…generator, small and silent and constantly gave power to the device.

He scratched his square jaw as he sat down.

Jaune had to ask him, simply out of curiosity. “What’s with that thing? On your chest?” He inquired, and Killian glanced at it. He tapped the metal and he exhaled through his nose.

“A story for another day.” He said to them. “Warfare leaves a fair few scars on you…most of which had nothing to do with Grimm.” He explained and he opened and closed his fist over and over again.

“I can imagine fighting Grimm is easier.” Weiss stated.

“Indeed, Grimm luckily are predictable, but a smart human with strategy? That’s a whole other obstacle to tackle…I guess you could say this little contraption acts as a reminder to me of why the Black Gallows were built band what our purpose was…even when I would be confused myself.” He said with a sigh, and Blake raised a brow.

“You? You would lose faith?” Blake questioned.

“Not faith…I just sometimes wished that we would focus more on the threat of the Grimm, not Humanity and the Faunus. I envy the Huntsmen and Huntresses in that regard, at least you know who your enemy is.” Killian scoffed, they may not have known it but it was clear to those who followed Salem that he had his doubts about her. And yet, he helped her…which meant that whatever she hopes to achieve…or has told him…must be best for Remnant.

“I’m surprised you would even say something like that, I thought you hated all of us.” Pyrrha assumed.

“I have doubts, but I do not hate you. I hate people who slaughter innocents for their own personal gain…” Killian explained, and Winter scoffed as she stared at him. He was such a hypocrite, she knew what he was getting at but she was not blind, she knew of the things that the Black Ops Operators had done, crippling towns and even Kingdoms. It was possible that he even had a hand in what happened to Vacuo.

“Hmm…you must really hate your reflection, huh?” Winter grilled, and Killian stared at his hands and he chuckled softly.

“What I did was not for me…it was for Remnant.” He stated, and Winter had heard that crap before, multiple times.

“You keep telling yourself that. Keep telling us that you believe you were wrong to do what you did at Beacon…innocents died by your hands so then you could push your agenda against us.” Winter snarled, she could see right through him, she saw his plans and how he viewed sacrifices…that it was always necessary if it was in the wellbeing for Remnant.

Killian stared at her and he narrowed his Onyx Eyes.

“Judge me if you wish, but I know they are more dangerous threats to the world than the Academies and their lack of security. Believe me…” He said as he touched the device once more.

Jaune and the others could not stand to look at Killian, and he knew it, and he did not care for it. Nathaniel Killian may have had Remnant’s Best Interests at heart, but who was he to make that call?

“For example…” Killian sat back and he started to tell them a story.

“Oh for gods sake, not a story from you about how Huntsmen are terrible things and you’re the good guy…” Weiss groaned.

“You’re under my command here, Miss Schnee. You will listen to what I have to say, and besides, if you were listening you would know this story has nothing to do with Huntsmen.” He stated with a growl in the back of his voice, that made them all silent, and they listened to the story he had to tell them.

“When I was younger, in my early twenties if I remember correctly, I fought in the Valerian Military. We were sent out to face this organisation of Humans who wanted to kill the Faunus Species, wanted them all to die simply because they feared them.” Killian explained to them all, Blake’s ears shot up, and she could remember that Cult.

“I remember…the Poached Souls…they hunted my people like game, killed them and…well I heard some disturbing things about what they did. Burned them and sold their dust on the Black Market as a drug…they stuffed us like animals…hell some of them ate us.” Blake explained, and this tale made them all shudder at the thought of it, they were already long gone by the point their were born, but history still told of their misdeeds.

“Correct, and like the White Fang they were a side effect of the Faunus War. Just as the Kingdoms were with the Academies after the Great War. The Valerian Military for the most part did not get involved in these matters unless it was causing extreme damage. It was, because the Poached Souls were not just attacking Faunus, but they also killed anyone who disagreed with them. Started to bomb buildings where there were Faunus inside…attacking schools that had three Faunus children inside. They were monsters and had to be stopped.” He explained to them all.

He was right about one thing…at least the Grimm just attacked anyone they saw, and were not sentient like the Poachers were. Sometimes the Human and Faunus threats in the world were more frightening than the beasts.

“We managed to track their forces down to an old abandoned fortress, one that was used during the Great War by General Lagune.” Killian told and Pyrrha and Blake remembered the name of that Fortress from Oobleck’s old teachings.

“Fort Castle.” They both said in unison.

“Correct, our forces attacked but it went wrong, they were expecting us and set traps. It was a bloody fight against the Poached Souls, and it reached a point where the Grimm started to come after us as well. The Siege lasted a whole day…and I was hit with napalm in the process.” He explained and he pulled his sleeve up to show some nasty burn scars across his whole arm where the fire had stuck and melted his skin. “It was one of the most painful experiences of my life…and I would have died, if not for our reinforcements…that arrived late. It was this battle that inspired the idea of building more Military Outposts around the Kingdom, opposed to one in each. The fact the Council never thought that this would be necessary…well it still baffles me. But I know why…it was because it was too expensive, and they wanted to keep the money for themselves.” Killian explained, and they scoffed.

“I doubt it was that simple.” Weiss stated.

“You would be surprised.” Killian said and Winter nodded her head.

“I told you…Vale’s Bureaucracy was something to be desired.” Winter stated, and Weiss looked up at her sister as she said that. Sadly the Politicians in charge of the world all had their corruptions.

Atlas was plagued with Paranoia and Money Makers.

Vale was infested with people who just wanted fame and power.

Mistral had intense Faunus Relations issues from racist leaders.

And Vacuo was filled with criminals.

It was something that they all finally could agree upon, the real thing that needs to be replaced and improved was the politics itself.

“Our reinforcements arrived and destroyed the Cult once and for all…it was a bloodbath, and if we had better information from our superiors the operation would have gone over much smoother. Something I feel all of you could agree with me on.” He stated and they stared at him.

“Yeah…I get that, but do you seriously expect us to believe you will tell us everything we need to know?” Weiss questioned. “We may agree with the Vytal Consensus, but trust me…that’s it.” Weiss stated.

“Understandable. However, I think you will agree with me on one thing, when you see where we will arrive at.” Killian said as he stood up.

“What’s that?” Jaune asked him.

“The problems with the way in which the Government favours its protectors. They give the Academies more funding than they do with the Military. Atlas is the only one that does not have this problem, thanks to what Ironwood put in place. Our safehouse today is going to be the Vacuo Veteran’s Home, there you will see why I believe the Consensus is necessary. Because it doesn’t just help you…but it will help others as well.” Killian explained as he walked over to the cockpit.

Weiss watched him approach the door and it closed behind him.

She shook her head and she sighed. “I hate that I agree and disagree with him at the same time.” Weiss sighed, and they all agreed.

“Tell me about it.”

 

**Ruby**

They were back in Vacuo now, and were returning to Lil Miss Malachite with the news of their succession of clearing out the Hearthstone Chateau of the Grimm that infested the location. Ruby walked with Qrow towards the building, but then they hung back and she wrung her hands together. Qrow slowed and looked back at his niece, glanced to his sister and the others and gestured them to keep moving, since he’ll see what’s wrong. But Yang, Nora and Ren refused to follow them and wanted to stay with Ruby.

The others walked towards the entrance of the Spider’s Web, and Qrow crouched down in front of his little niece. She may not be as little as she once was, but he still saw her that way in his eyes. “What’s up?” He asked her, she was strong but she was not stupid. She saw what she saw in there…and it frightened her.

“I…I’m just worried, Uncle Qrow. I don’t know if I want to kill Jackdaw or not…I mean when Roman died, Neo nearly killed me…I’ve never been more scared in my life.” She softly said, and her hands went to her belly. She suffered from ghost pains, memories of the pain she endured when that dagger stabbed into her stomach twice…the feeling of that cold blade pressed to her neck. That was nearly the end of her life, and it would have been over something she had no control of.

“Neopolitan is insane…you didn’t kill Roman, the bastard killed himself.” Qrow told her and she nodded her head.

“But…what if killing Jackdaw…what if I become like him?” She asked fearfully.

“You won’t.” He promised.

“All it takes is one drop of blood…one death on my hands…and everything will change. I’ve never directly killed anybody before…only Grimm…I don’t know what will happen to me if I do. People keep saying a part of you dies when you murder someone…I don’t want to…I don’t want to be like my enemies.” Ruby said, and Yang gently held her sister’s hands in hers.

“It’s okay Ruby…you don’t have to be the one to do it…Jackdaw does have to die, it’s why we’re doing this. But it could be any of us…and I know you won’t change into him. You’re a good person…the best person I have _ever_ known.” Yang lovingly said to her baby sister, she smiled at her, and Nora chimed in.

“Why do you think we followed you, dummy?” She asked her with a kind smile. “I love Jaune and Pyrrha…but you’re also one of my best friends in the whole world. If I can help you find the answers you need…then I’ll die to do that for you.” She gently said to her, and Ren held Nora’s shoulder supportively.

“And so would I.” Ren agreed.

“So would we all.” Qrow added, he held Ruby’s shoulders with a smile and she smiled back. “C’mon, kiddo. Let’s go hear what Malachite has to say to us…” Qrow said to her.

“She better give us overtime for what we fought.” Yang stated with a smirk.

“That makes two of us.” Qrow agreed

They caught up to the rest of their Party and they headed into the building. It was as if no time had passed, all the dancers were dancing away on the stages and around the poles. Men and women drinking and flirting with each other. Prostitutes teasing the different men and women around the area for their services. They all watched them, kept their hands closed to their pockets to not lose their lien they had on them.

They walked up the stairs together and they approached her little throne room, which was just a couch. They stood before her, the Malachite Twins by her shoulders, and she was leant back against the spine of her couch with a sinister smirk on her face. She held her fancy cigarette between her fingers and tapped the burnt remnants into the ash tray. “I see you have returned…with good news I hope?” She asked her clients, and they looked at each other.

“Hearthstone Chateau is clear of Grimm. There was a Geist there and a Widow’s Tear…must’ve been there for a damn long time.” Raven told Lil Miss Malachite, and they flinched slightly from the whispering voices of Valravn.

_“Valravn…Valravn…Valravn…”_

“Well, well…you never cease to surprise me Ms Branwen.” Lil Miss Malachite congratulated with the clap of her hands. Raven did not even seem bothered with her false praise, now she wanted what they agreed upon. Information on where her Older Brother was heading, what information she traded with him in general.

“We made a deal…you clear out that old Mansion, you give us the information you traded with Jackdaw Branwen.” Qrow said to her, since he wanted her to get to the point already. She softly giggled, it sounded sweet yet even that was unnerving, and then she stood up, and held out her hand to Melanie. She picked up a data pad and handed it to her mother, who carried it over and set it down on the table, pushing it towards Raven. It brought up a large Holographic Display of information.

Many things…but it all surrounded the exact same thing.

“The Black Gallows?” Ruby inquired.

“Good eyes, my dear…very pretty ones too.” She said as she leant forward with a smirk, she saw her Silver Eyes once again. But Yang stood in front of Ruby, she may be able to handle herself, but she was Ruby’s older sister…which meant it was her job to protect her no matter what.

“What the hell does Jackdaw want with the Black Gallows?” Cinder questioned as she stared at the Information Broker.

“Well there’s the interesting part…he was very vague, but he told me that there was something going down in Atlas…and the facility was his target. He did not deign to inform me of whom he was working for, but I could tell that this was not for his own interest.” Lil Miss Malachite explained, which made Nora scoff.

“How’d ya get to that conclusion?” Nora questioned.

“Because Jackdaw Branwen’s file has never made him out to be the…adventurer…more of a mad killer. So why would he hide out in the middle of the Atlesian Wildlands? I never got my answer…and my spiders lost sight of him as soon as he left this building. However…if he is headed to Atlas, the best and fastest way there would be through Argus. If I were you, I would head to Anima and go to the nearest Train Station. Board the Argus Limited, if that is where you are heading.” Lil Miss Malachite advised, and Raven pondered on this idea.

“We can’t risk taking the Argus Limited from Mistral itself, Killian most likely already has bounties set up for us. We’ll need to find one of the other stations in Anima, out in the wilds.” Raven explained to her team, and Lil Miss Malachite smiled as she closed the data hologram, and pulled out the memory stick and gave it straight to Ruby, not Raven. She held it and Malachite held her wrist, and stared at her.

“Dangerous thing, sweetheart…having eyes like that…if you ever want…better…more fun work…come to me.” She whispered sinisterly, but Vernal was the one to take Ruby and pull her away.

“Don’t listen to her…I made that mistake.” Vernal growled directly at Malachite.

“Oh, Vernal, darling…you’re going to break my heart.” She sadistically spoke soft sarcasm as well.

Ruby tucked the data stick into her pocket, and Raven nodded at the Silver Eyed Huntress and looked back to Lil Miss Malachite. “Always a pleasure, Lil Miss Malachite.” She said, and they all turned to make their departure. But before they could get to the stairs, Malachite spoke one last time.

“It was a pleasure working with you, Ms Branwen, it's very rare someone ever brings me such beautiful little gifts.” Malachite said with a smirk before she smoked her cigarette once more and blew out the smoke. Raven turned away from Lil Miss Malachite and they kept walking away.

Leaving the Broodmother and her Spiders behind, as they headed for the exit.

The heat from the air was still there, even with the sun setting behind the dunes that rose up for miles like mountains. Eryka whistled and Dulcis descended to her and landed on her shoulder and he chirped in her ear and she pulled a fresh rat she caught in the Chateau and threw it up in the air. He caught it in his sharp beak and swallowed it whole. “So what now? Do we go to Argus?” Vernal inquired, but Raven was not foolish.

“Not yet, we need to restock our ammo and sharpen our weapons before we head to Anima. The Wilds are extremely dangerous and we’ll undoubtedly encounter plenty of Grimm or Mercenaries along the way.” Raven explained and Cinder nodded her head in agreement.

“Locating an isolated Train Station could take us ages, even if we follow the tracks.” Cinder said.

“We could look over the maps back at Camp.” Vernal suggested and Raven nodded her head in agreement.

“Good idea, we’ll lay low here in Vacuo for tomorrow, get stocked up on supplies and then we’ll head back. Vernal, Cinder – I’ll open a portal and the two of you will head back home, keep an eye on things there. Look after Amber, and see if you can find a Station out in the wilds of Anima.” Raven ordered.

“You got it.” Vernal agreed with the nod of her head, Raven drew her Odachi and swung it, cutting open a portal in the air that allowed them to leave. They both walked into it and left the hottest Region on Remnant.

The others needed to lay low for now…

…for as long as they could.

 

**Cinder**

The dark red portal opened up into the Tribe, and the Fall Maiden emerged first, she looked around the area as she walked out. Vernal followed from behind as the doorway closed after they exited it, the cooler air of the Anima Climate was a great shock, and the sun was still in the sky. They both shuddered from the colder climate for a moment after getting used to it, and then they walked forward, and looked around. They saw the Grunts walking around with their weapons, some were sharpening them and others were drinking as they chatted.

“Welcome back.” One of the Grunts greeted as he approached them, and he had a collar made from the bones of a creature he managed to hunt down and kill. “How’d the mission go?” He asked, he was one of the nicer ones.

“Fine enough in the grand scheme of things. We’re gonna go check over the map, plot out our next location.” Vernal told the Grunt and he nodded his head.

“You didn’t find him there?” He asked them.

“No, he’s still ahead of us but we know where we’re headed. We need to get to Argus, but we need to board the Argus Limited at one of the Isolated Stations.” Vernal explained as she approached the largest of the tents, the one that belonged to Raven herself.

“Should we get ready to pack up and leave?” He asked her.

“Probably, yeah. Black Gallows could be anywhere, need to stay ahead of them.” Cinder told the Grunt and he nodded his head and he walked around the camp to let everyone know that they should get ready.

“Good thinking, travelling Anima is hard enough as it is. Would be safer with a larger group.” Vernal said and Cinder nodded her head. They entered Raven’s tent and they looked around, and found the large map of Anima rolled up on the table alongside the other maps she had there. They rolled it open and flattened it down on the wooden table, and started to go over it, searching for the best possible locations. “Alright…where’s the nearest one?” She wondered, and Cinder tapped her bandaged finger against the Mountains.

“Well…there’s that one.” Cinder said, Vernal scoffed in disagreement.

“Yeah, the one that belongs to the Vasillias Cartel? After what we saw in Vacuo, do you really think going to them is the best idea?” She asked her, and Cinder sighed.

“Probably not.”

“We need to steer clear of those mountains, the Cartel are more dangerous than the Grimm that lurk around the place. Sphinxes and Manticores are deadly, sure…but they don’t have the cunning that Lavinia has.” Vernal explained as she trailed the maps to figure out what the closest one would be. She stopped on one location and she sighed, and leant back against the back of her chair. “I mean…there is Kuchinashi…but it’s a damn long walk.” She said.

“So the closest one is the Vasillias Cartel…and the other one is further…and means going through Highly Infested Grimm Territory?” Cinder asked her and she sighed with the nod of her head.

“Starting to wonder which one’s worse.” Vernal chuckled.

“Let’s just circle them for now…Raven can make the decision, she’ll know best.” Cinder said, she picked up the marker pen and she circled the two locations and set the pen back down on the table. They stepped back from the map and Vernal pushed her hands through her short black hair. Cinder scratched an itch that flared up under her eyepatch and she groaned.

“So…what now? Tribe seems perfectly normal, if there’s one nice thing I can say about the Grunts is that they don’t ever cause problems when we’re gone.” Vernal said as she walked across the tent with Cinder towards the outside world. They walked out and they approached a table and two chairs that they pulled out and sat down upon.

“Well…I dunno…I guess we could play a game?” Cinder suggested with the shrug of her shoulders. Vernal looked around and she picked up a box that made her curious. She gasped and her eyes widened with joy and she spun it round, and Cinder sighed. “I…was hoping…it would be a bit more creative.”

_Jenga_

They had already started to make one hell of a tower, and were sharing stories back and forth with one another. Little things, the biggest Grimm they had ever seen, and Cinder would always have her beaten on this challenge. The Wyvern would always trump any Grimm, from Blind Worms all the way to Sphinxes. But they both had experienced some pretty nasty things over their…rather short lives in the grand scheme of things. “Been a hell of a ride, huh?” Vernal asked her.

“Yeah…not proud of all of it though.” Cinder stated as she pulled one of the logs of wood from the Jenga tower and placed it on top.

“None of us are, I’m afraid. Trust me, that feeling will never go away.” Vernal said as she pondered and stared at the tower. They had many blocks at the top now, so things were about to get really intense for both sides. Neither of them wanted to risk that tower crashing down on their heads. It would not be pretty, not in the slightest. “When I was still pretty new here…we were on a raid. Some bandits had holed up nearby, and we were killing them, clearing the area out and taking their things that they stole. But when I was going through the area…someone grabbed my shoulder…so I shot my gun.” Vernal explained as she carefully slid one of the blocks out from under the roof. “It was a kid…”

Cinder, sadly, did not even seem shocked by this. She felt for Vernal, but it was not like it wasn’t something she would have done before. Because she had done it before, she had killed a child once…her sisters. “That…sucks…I’m sorry, Vernal.” Cinder said to her friend, almost sympathetically.

“You…oh gods I’m sorry, here I am talking about how hard it was for me to cope killing a kid I never knew…when you had to kill your sisters.” Vernal apologised, never something she would have expected to apologise for. Cinder looked at her and she lowered her gaze.

“I didn’t…have to…I murdered them, Vernal. Yours was an accident, I killed them because I hated them. Before you even try to call yourself a monster, just look at me. Not many people compare to me, and I’m not about to try and make things right. I am what I am.” Cinder stated as she looked at the tower and searched for pieces to remove from it. Her words were hateful but only directed towards herself.

“It’s never too late to change, Cinder…because by that logic I am still a prostitute.” Vernal pointed out, and Cinder scoffed.

“That’s different…when you kill your whole family out of hatred, Vernal…it’s not the same as escaping a bad life. That sticks with you…I saw it when I was there.” Cinder explained and she pulled out one of the blocks of wood and set it down on the table Vernal raised a brow curiously.

“At the Hearthstone Chateau?” She asked her, and Cinder nodded her head.

“It wasn’t for very long…I nearly missed it…but when Ruby stormed off from me, I saw it. The chandelier and their bodies…I could still taste the blood in my mouth. From when I stabbed my father in the throat…I still remember the blood on my face…the taste of it…I was sick after I did it…and I was lost. It brought back bad memories.” Cinder said as she stared at the tower and she sighed.

Vernal chose one of the blocks. “I’m sorry…that place…it was bad.” Vernal said, she remembered Cinder’s old home. It may have been run down and abandoned, but they could feel the pain that she felt at that place. How her family would judge her and force her to do the things she never ever wanted to do, made her believe she was a hideous beast and would never make anything of her life. “I saw things too…I saw the bedroom and it brought back some memories too, I kept hearing them…the voices of the men I…pleased. I could feel it in my body, the things I let them do to me and what I did to them.” Vernal explained as she held her forearm.

“Why’d you even do it? You’re strong enough to have turn down that kind of life.” Cinder pointed out with confusion.

“I am now…but then? I needed to survive…and Malachite gave me a choice…the streets…or the bedroom.” Vernal explained.

“That’s no choice.” Cinder pointed out.

“It was to a young…blind fool like me. I assumed I would find the best men and women in the world, beautiful and handsome…and some were…but not all.” She said with a sigh. “And most of them…were not very kind.”

“I’m sorry.” Cinder apologised and she sighed.

“That place was screwed up.” Vernal commented, which made them both chuckle at how much of an understatement that was.

As they played their game of Jenga together whilst waiting on the others to return the following day as planned, Shay and a few Grunts walked past. He stopped and he held an old piece of jewellery they had stashed here for a while. “Hey Vernal, Cinder.” He greeted, oddly politely, the two attractive women turned to him as he stood there.

“Sup?” Vernal asked him curiously.

“You’re pretty good when it comes to jewellery, the boys and I went looting on some of the abandoned homes we found around here. We found some jewels hidden away…how much do you think we could get for this one?” Shay asked her, so she pulled out another log of wood and she turned to him. She held it up to the sun, and she could pick up on the specks of grime and dirt that had covered the stones.

“Hmm…if you use some of the cleaning stuff in that tent over there, could get a few hundred Lien for it…good find.” Vernal complimented as she handed it back to him. It was hard to believe but he was actually quite nice to people he knew…especially to Vernal, she wasn’t stupid either. She knew he had a thing for her, but she liked to keep him guessing. He took it and he nodded his head.

“Thanks…how’d your job go, at that Mansion?” He asked the two of them, and Cinder poked out her tongue playfully as she carefully squeezed the piece of wood out from the tower, making soft squeaking noises in the process.

“Could’ve been worse, could’ve been better.” Cinder strained as she carefully yet desperately tried to get the tight wood from the tower of Jenga pieces.

“We cleared it out for Malachite, but there was one of those damn Widow’s Tears in there, and a Geist. That one was kinda easy in comparison, at least Geists don’t get in your head and mess with you.” Vernal chuckled and he laughed with them, and he nodded his head.

“Well, have fun you two. I’ll go sort this out.” Shay said to them, he took the necklace and left the two of them to it. They both looked at each other and Cinder raised a brow.

“I think he has a thing for me.” Vernal commented.

“Oh you think?” Cinder questioned after she finally managed to pull the piece of wood out. But as soon as she does it, she gasped and the tower of Jenga pieces suddenly toppled over and fell right onto her. She let out a yelp, something that was extremely uncharacteristic from her, and she held them atop her chest. Vernal laughed silently, clapping her hands, and despite her urge to not do it…Cinder actually softly giggled with a bright smile.

It was a feeling she never felt, true friendship.

“Ow…” Cinder laughed as she pushed the pieces of wood back onto the table. She picked up some of the ones that fell past her and turned to hear the giggling from Amber who just walked over. “Tell me you didn’t see that?” She begged her, and she smiled adorably and put her finger to her lips. “Good girl.” She winked.

“Well…as fun as this was…I need to go around and check our inventory, before Raven gets back and gives me an earful. Think you can watch over Amber?” She asked as she walked away from her. Cinder’s amber eye widened and she spun round.

“Wait WHAT?” She asked fearfully, since she still did not feel overly comfortable looking after children.

Vernal was suddenly gone, her chair was spinning round on the spot where she shot off to do her duties. Cinder bit her lip and she sighed, and squinted her eye shut in annoyance. She then swivelled round and stared at Amber. “So…what do you wanna do?” She asked curiously.

“I dunno.” Amber answered.

“Okay…well we could do with some fish for dinner. Wanna learn how to fish? It’s a useful skill to have.” Cinder suggested, and a bright smile squeaked onto Amber’s adorable little face and she bounced up and down excitedly.

“Yu-Huh!” She giggled playfully, and Cinder softly chuckled as she got up and she walked over to the little girl. She followed her like a little growth as Cinder went over to one of the tents that had the fishing gear inside, rods and bait that they needed to fish. There was a beautiful river nearby that they could use to their advantage, and the little girl followed her towards the stream.

She held out the smaller Rod and Amber held it in her tiny hands. “Thank you.” She adorably said to Cinder.

“Alright…you’re not as big as me, so yours is a bit smaller. But it still works the same way, you throw in your bait and you hold the rod. You feel a tug? You turn this and you real it in, if you feel it try and get away from you, pull back but don’t reel. You don’t want to break the line, okay? When you get the fish, you put it inside of this bucket so then we can cook ‘em up.” Cinder explained to her, and Amber smiled with the nod of her head.

“How do you know so much?” Amber asked sweetly.

“Ha…I’m not as clever as some.” She said with a smile and she ruffled her hair. Cinder stood up and she sat down on one of the chairs that was left there, Amber sat down on the dirt next to her. “I did a lot of fishing when Raven took me in, I was badly hurt…as you can see.” Cinder said as she pointed to her eyepatch and then at her arm she had wrapped up in the white bandage like wraps. Her arm was still badly scarred from the burns by Ruby’s Silver Eyes. “It helped me do something when I couldn’t fight, when I had to recover. I owe Raven a lot…especially after what I did.”

“What did you do?” Amber inquired.

“Bad things, kiddo…” Cinder told Amber, and she threw her bait in, Amber watched her do it and she mimicked her, and threw in the line. “Look at you, fast learner, huh?” She asked her and Amber blushed.

“Thank you!” She squeaked.

They both sat there for a while, and Amber seemed to know that the fish would be scared by her voice. Cinder glanced at her as they waited and after all this time they managed to catch around three fish…quite large ones too. “How have you been doing, kid? After what you went through…you seem to handle it pretty well considering.” Cinder asked her, and Amber looked at her.

“I…I miss my mommy and daddy. They were really nice to me…I miss mommy’s bedtime songs.” She said to her, yet she was not tearful. “But crying…crying won’t bring them back…it was what Shay told me.”

Cinder looked at her and stared at Shay over her shoulder who was cleaning the jewellery like Vernal suggested. She tightened her grip and glared angrily. “Did he now?” She asked.

“Mhm…but he’s right…it was mean, but I want to help. I don’t like being useless.” Amber explained as she sat there, and Cinder nodded her head. She knew exactly what she meant, it was why she enjoyed fishing.

“That’s why fishing is great…I like it because it helps me forget the bad things in the world and our biggest mistakes. Just makes me focus, y’know what I mean?” Cinder asked her curiously and Amber smiled and nodded her head.

“Yeah…I like it too.” Amber said to her, and Cinder smiled as she looked at her.

“You’re a good kid.” She said to her kindly and Amber smiled. She ruffled her hair gently and Amber squeaked happily.

Whether Cinder wanted to or not…she was bonding with the girl…and was bringing out her better side just as Vernal did.

 

**Jaune**

They have arrived at Vacuo.

The Wasp soared across the sky, and it descended towards the landing pad on the rooftop that was the Veteran’s Home inside of the City of Sand. The long wings folded away and the back of the vehicle opened up so then the people inside of it could exit. Killian emerged first and he looked out across the city of Vacuo, Jaune stood next to him, and Killian gave him a glance. “C’mon.” Killian ordered, he walked ahead of them and Jaune nodded to them all. They all followed him as he followed Killian into the staircase.

They walked downstairs, they felt the sand that was on the steps crunch beneath their boots. Weiss looked around at the place, and she could see the amount of beggars in the streets as soon as she exited. “By the gods…I heard things were bad here in Vacuo, but I didn’t realise things were this bad.” Weiss stated as she walked down the stairs.

“Enjoy your stay while you can, it is very likely that this Kingdom will be gone in a few years time. The Government is losing funding and drought is slowly killing everything that they built. Soon refugee camps will be filled with the people of Vacuo. I want to make sure we have things set in place to help them.” Killian explained as he walked down the stairs to the lobby.

“What kind of things?” Pyrrha inquired.

“Improved Camps, making sure people get fed and we help them find homes and jobs. And we need to keep families together, that will always lead to failure.” Killian explained to them, and nothing would cause rebellions than families being torn apart by those who stood above those weaker than themselves.

Killian opens the doors to the main lobby where they could see some tired Veterans in there, and they could instantly see what Killian meant. They never realised how poorly the normal soldiers were treated by the government. Killian immediately walked forward, but then he stopped and looked back at them. “If you don’t trust me…then I ask you…to speak with them. Hear their stories, believe them if not me.” Killian asked them, he walked ahead and he approached a group of Ex-Soldiers who were sat down at a couch.

They could not hear him talking to them yet they could all tell from the ways in which they reacted to seeing him that they had faith in him. Jaune looked at everyone that surrounded them, so he and Pyrrha walked over to a man who was in a wheelchair. They could tell why as well, his legs were both missing and were completely deformed. He did not even have any prosthetics. There was a second one who had no arms, he was sat down next to him and the man in the wheelchair extended his hand with a smile. “Good evening, how are you two doing?” The Veteran asked the two of them.

“We’re okay…how are you?” Pyrrha sweetly asked her.

They both looked at their injuries and they chuckled. “Well…could be better, but hopefully things will change.” The Armless Veteran said to them with a shrug.

“By the way? Are you Pyrrha Nikos?” The Wheelchair Bound Veteran asked her and she smiled and nodded her head.

“I am.” She answered.

“Oh wow! Hey…could you sign this for Billy’s daughter? She looks up to you like crazy, and…well…after he lost his arms on the field, he just wants her to smile. Just an autograph.” The Wheelchair Bound Veteran asked her desperately, and she smiled and she obliged happily. She took the card that had a picture drawn by the little girl of her father…and he looked so sad. So she signed it.

“Thank you, Ryan.” Billy said to his friend, and Ryan patted his shoulder with a smile.

“What’s her name?” She asked.

“Karen.” Billy answered proudly.

_This is such a beautiful drawing, Karen!_

_I know you will be an incredible artist one day, I hope I can meet you!_

_With love, Pyrrha Nikos_

She gave the card back to Ryan and he held onto it for Ryan until his family would come by to bring him back home. “Thank you…so much.” Billy was almost in tears with happiness. “This will make her so happy…I may not be able to hug her again, but at least I can give her this.” Billy said tearfully. His words nearly made Pyrrha cry, and she lowered her head sadly.

“The Government never…gave you any prosthetics?” Jaune inquired, and he shook his head.

“Nope, I don’t wanna sound like an asshole but the Councillors put most of their Military Funds into Shade Academy. It’s the same for many…it’s why we believe in Killian. His Consensus will help balance the funds and care for both sides. If it goes through…and it works…I may get prosthetic arms…so I can hug my baby again.” Billy said to them both, Jaune looked at Pyrrha and she looked at him.

This was a factor they never even thought of…and it actually made them believe they chose the right side more.

Not for Killian, but for the Veterans.

Weiss stood there and she looked at the names that were on the board, she had her arms behind her back as she stared at them.

_Have you ever seen the Demons we all see? Come to Garland’s Hope, where we can help you and many others get over the past together._

“Excuse me?” A soldier spoke, and she turned to see a soldier who had a deformed face from a severe burn, and Blake approached with this Human Soldier. She looked at Weiss and she noticed that he also had his vision damaged from a battle that cracked his skull.

“Hello.” She politely and kindly spoke to the soldier.

“Are…are you Weiss Schnee?” He asked, he was a young man and Weiss approached him.

“Yes, I am…who are you?” She asked him with a smile.

“Uh…Max Delphine.” He answered slowly, he had a slur as well, and it really did seem like it was hard for him to speak. “I…I just wanted to say…I really appreciate to see that you came to visit us today…” The Veteran said to them.

“Of course…it’s my pleasure.” Weiss said to the nice man. “May I ask…how you got your injury?” She asked him curiously and he nodded his head.

“I…worked for your father as a Guard.” He revealed and her eyes widened. “We were attacked by the White Fang…lead by Adam Taurus…he attacked me with his sword, and he exploded a cannister of fire dust next to me. The explosion nearly blinded me…and deformed my face…we begged Mr Schnee for my medical bills to repair the damage…but instead he fired me.” Max revealed and Weiss clenched her fist in anger.

“Father…” She growled.

“But I know you’re not like him, Miss Schnee. You are kind…he would have never come to see us. Just you coming here today? That means everything.” He said to her, and then he walked away. Weiss watched as he went and she looked at Blake…they both felt guilt.

Killian was right…there were other threats to the world outside the Grimm and the Academies…the most dangerous threat were the corrupt Businessmen and Politicians…who would cause the problems Killian was trying to solve in the first place. “These poor people…I’m starting to agree with Killian’s goal…I just want to try and convince him to change his ways.” Blake said to Weiss and she sighed.

“I hate that I agree…these people look up to him. We should see if we can convince him to try things differently.” Weiss agreed, and then they turned to see Killian stood there and he held his hands together. They were shaking…and they could tell that he was just like them in the mind. But then they saw a woman approach him…she was unfamiliar to them…but not to him.

Killian turned and his eyes widened with disbelief. “Veronica Chamberlain? I was not expecting to see you here.” He said to her.

“And I am surprised to see you here…have I got a stalker?” She asked with a grin.

“Oh – uh – n-no.” She awkwardly stammered, and she chuckled.

“I’m just teasing ya.” She said as she stood with her used Prosthetic Leg the military gave her after she lost her leg in the field.

“How are the people doing here?” Killian asked her.

“Well…just look around…things were better in Vale and Mistral because they had better funds. But Vacuo? This Kingdom is on the brink.” Veronica sighed as she crossed her arms.

“I know…” He sighed. He then looked at her and he held his arms behind his back and he stammered. “Hey…I’ve got nothing on tonight…what about you?” He asked her, she raised a brow and she smiled.

“Nothing.” She replied.

“Can I…buy you dinner tonight?” He proposed, and a smile formed on her beautiful face.

“Sure…I’ll see you at eleven. Have you seen that Restaurant called The Mountain Mockingbird?” She asked him and he nodded his head.

“Yeah…so…I’ll see you at eleven?” He asked her, and she kissed his cheek affectionately.

“See you there.” She agreed.

Asking her out…was a lot easier than he expected, he never even expected her to have had a thing for him as well. Weiss stood there, and she never expected to hear Killian sound like that…

…like a human being.

 

 


	17. The Mountain Mockingbird

**Killian**

Not much got to Nathaniel Killian, a lifelong service in the military tended to make a soldier fear very little.

Death? Nah.

Pain? Just a scratch.

But this was one of the few things in the whole world that got his heart pounding, gave him gooseflesh and caused his teeth to nearly chatter. He felt like a shake weight, desperately trying to maintain his cool and not look like a terrified sweaty mess. But it was so difficult, he sat at the chair in the beautiful restaurant, alone at the moment, he was waiting on Veronica to show up.

The Mountain Mockingbird, undoubtedly the most expensive restaurant in all of Vacuo, and luckily all their food lived up to how much it costed. Killian tapped his fingers on the table as he sat there, dressed up in a nice suit with his black bow tie all ready. Wearing clothes like these also felt kind of…off…he was used to having armour plating, specifically designed for combat and he could easily fit that device on his sternum to his clothes without any issue…yet with these clothes?

Not exactly, not at all.

It was late at Vacuo tonight, the Fractured Moon floated in the night sky as the stunning stars arched over the kingdom. They were different to when he was at different areas of Remnant, different constellations, different colours from the distant nebulae. There were not many people here, there were some others but they were quietly talking with each other, and the staff had a pleasantly quiet night this evening.

A Waiter approached Killian’s seat with a bottle of Red Wine. “Good Evening, Sir, would you care for some wine?” The Waiter asked him.

“Oh uh…yes, yes please.” He politely replied with the nod of his head, and the man set the bottle down and filled up his glass.

“Are you expecting anybody tonight?” The Waiter curiously asked him as he poured the red wine into his wine glass.

“Yes…not gonna lie, kinda nervous. Haven’t really done dating all that much, my job made that difficult.” Killian explained to the Waiter, which was not the only reason of course. There were many reasons behind why he lived quite a lonely private life, simply because he was afraid…afraid of them learning what he truly was, what he would do for the Black Gallows…and what he would have to do if his partner became a danger to that position.

He loved his family, the family that took him in when he was a child, but he was never able to display his emotions very well. It was one of his biggest flaws as a human being, he struggled to show emotion, alongside his paranoia, broken logic and hypocrisy.

He turned his gaze to the door when he heard the bell ding, but it was not Veronica, simply another couple, most likely out for a romantic evening together. He felt a little disappointed, he just wanted to see how well she cleaned up. “Must be a very lovely lady, I wish you the  best of luck.” The Waiter said to Killian, after he poured some red wine into the other empty glass for Veronica whenever she would show up.

“Thank you.” Killian said to the Waiter, who parted from the table and returned back to the table. He sat at the table and looked out at the window, and it was very intriguing how unique his knowledge was. He could tell when a window had bullet proofing built into it, since he pushed his knuckle against it and he gently knocked it. There was no rattle, and it sounded extremely thick, and did not even feel like glass…it was almost like an extremely hard plastic. A bullet would hit that glass and do some damage, but not enough to shatter it, and that would give the poor target time to hide.

_I remember why these restaurants in Vacuo invested in Bullet Proof Glass…the Vacuo Mafia a very long time ago would assassinate certain individuals whenever they would go with their families._

_Despite the good they attempted to accomplish…it did not wipe away the bad._

_And there was a lot of bad._

He also could not stop wondering, he was always thinking. Every single passing minute, or second of every day he was thinking. Plotting schemes to help complete certain objectives, plotting out strategies and so forth. He was trained to think this way, because every single moment you take your mind off your enemies…they will take that time to plot against you. Always have a counter attack ready, always have escape routes planned…always…keep…your…gun…close.

He touched the side of his leg and felt the leather holster that his Chrome Revolver was holstered into. He exhaled softly, he never went anywhere without it, end of the day despite how many people believed in him now…there were doubtlessly those out there who wanted him dead.

_Ding_

He turned his gaze, and his onyx eyes widened with awe as she approached. Her long dark brown hair seemed to dance as she moved, curly and almost shiny, and she wore a beautiful dark red dress, almost red wine coloured – ironic considering the drink they were having. His heart thundered as he saw her approach, he did not even notice though that she had some very clear insecurities about her prosthetic leg, since the dress perfectly hid her whole leg from the world as she approached. Yet there was that limp, her leg was slightly smaller than her real one, which made it slightly difficult for her movements.

Killian stood up and he held his hands behind his back, almost instinctively, and she even did the exact same thing. Someone who did not know either of them would easily be able to tell they had a background in Military Services. “Wow…you look…incredible.” Killian chuckled with awe as she approached, she smiled and she looked at him, up and down.

“Not too shabby yourself, Commander.” She said to him, and he chuckled, and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“You…don’t have to call me that.” He assured her, she smiled back at him, and flicked her long locks of brown hair over her shoulder. That revealed a scar she was not so bothered about, one that looked like a bullet just grazed her and managed to leave a scar. They all had that kind of scar in the line of duty. It was one of the first ways to tell that someone had fought in the front lines of combat.

“I’m sorry, just comes out sometimes.” She softly giggled and they both took their seats. She set her handbag down on the ground by her chair, and they both looked out at the beautiful view of the evening desert. “Incredible view…”

“It is…Vacuo always was quite the marvel for its views.” Killian agreed, she smiled as she looked at him.

“Never pegged you for the artistic type.” Veronica commented as she crossed her leg over the prosthetic one.

“I’ve dabbled…not much of an artist myself…but I have always appreciated the work of others.” Killian explained as he looked at her. She held up her glass to him and he did the same.

“To Art…and all its beauty.” She smiled at him as she spoke, and he chuckled.

“To art.” He replied, and they clinked their glasses against one another, the long yet soft ring of the glasses deflecting off one another resounded.

It was very odd, how he almost had two separate personalities. There was the Commander of the Black Gallows, a terrifying leader who could manipulate the masses based off controlling the flow of information…one way or another…who also worked for none other than Salem herself. That man was the one that struck fear into the Huntsmen Academies and many others, even the people themselves for so many years…until they saved their city from the Grimm four years prior.

Now…they were heroes, not the boogeymen.

People will always look up to a hero, even if deep down there was a demon in their heart.

But then, there was Nathaniel Killian, the real human being who was buried underneath the truth of what the monster was inside of him. The one that showed mercy, the one that believed in Humanity and the Faunus…the one that was truly vulnerable. And sometimes the hardest part of his job, was remembering when to switch off, and on.

The question was – how long would Killian remain himself, before the Commander came back?

“So a Commander of a Shady Military Group, is also a great lover of the arts and crafts? What else do you hide underneath…that thing?” She asked him as she gestured her glass towards the device that was fused to his sternum. He glanced down at it and he chuckled.

“It’s…a form of respirator.” He answered. “And there a few things that I enjoy, Cats for starters have always been something I loved. My parents once owned one when I was a kid…before what happened with Jack the Ripper.” Killian explained and her eyes widened.

“I…never knew about that…I’m so sorry.” She apologised, Veronica worked in Recon, which meant she dealt with information, highly classified intel. She knew a few things about Killian and the Black Gallows, but not very much. Many files that surrounded them were redacted from her Military Branch’s or covered in black ink. Only those that had the Ultraviolet Pens could actually show that information, something she did not have access too.

She was respected as a Recon Expert, but she was not high enough up in the hierarchy to be given that kind of intel.

“It was a long time ago…but was also the start of why I lost a lot of trust in the Huntsmen…end of the day, he was one.” Killian pointed out, and she nodded her head in agreement.

“True…sadly I know what you mean. I was only three when all that happened…but I learned all about it when I started working in the Police Force, long before I was part of the R.S.T.F.” Veronica explained to him.

_R.S.T.F – The Remnant Special Task Force_

This Task Force was a very highly skilled force of soldiers, all trained in the art of war, these people were chosen and the only reason they were not promoted to the Black Gallows simply came down to their ability to cut off all ties with their humanity. Sadly, a Black Gallows soldier could not fell anything for the lives of others, since they were mainly used to keep Human and Faunus populations in check when it came down to law and politics. But this Task Force was hardly weak.

The soldiers could challenge Huntsmen just as the Black Gallows could and they were trained in countless arts of war. And yet despite all that…they did not have the funding for improved cybernetics. The Politicians had funded everything for the R.S.T.F except for their Post-Combat Surgeries…since _sacrifices were expected in war_.

There was a reason why soldiers in Remnant hated being treated the way they were, and also why many soldiers did not have much respect for the Academies. Atlas was one of the few that did not have this problem, since they trained both Huntsmen and Soldiers in the exact same Academy, this allowed for both sides to earn respect with each other opposed to being against each other.

Atlas had many problems, but logically this was one of the wisest choices that they made.

“You worked in the Police Force? What division?” He asked her.

“I was once a detective, one of the youngest ones in Vale, I was only nineteen when I got my first job. Tracked down quite a few serial killers…it got my name out there, and when I joined the military I was offered a Training Course with the R.S.T.F. Best decision I made…despite how it ended.” She explained as she looked at her prosthetic leg. She suddenly sighed and gently tapped the side of her head. “Oh I’m sorry, here I am waffling on about my service record…we’re on a date.” She sighed awkwardly.

“Oh no…please…not many people listen to our tales, since our stories aren’t anywhere as near as the stories that the Academies get their kids to experience. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone who actually understands me, and vice versa.” Killian explained, she smiled and she took another sip of her red wine. She smiled and slightly blushed.

“This is some good wine…” She said to him with a smile.

“I know! I never really was one for drinking that much, but if all alcohol was this good…well I guess then I would have a problem.” They both laughed and continued to enjoy the drink and then sat it back down. As they sat there, they both turned as the Waiter returned to the table.

“Good evening, I hope you have been enjoying your time here so far.” The Waiter said to the two of them.

“Oh, this place is wonderful.” Veronica kindly said to the Waiter.

“Thank you so much, I always enjoy seeing what kind of people come dine with us. Speaking of which…” He whipped out his booklet and he opened it with his pen in his other hand that he clicked down. “Have you decided on what you will be having tonight?” He asked the two of them.

“Yes…I will be having the Spaghetti Bolognese please.” Killian ordered first, and Veronica smiled and nodded her head.

“Oh, and I will have the same please.” She agreed and the Waiter smiled.

“Excellent choice. Would you like to have a bottle of our Finest Vasillias Red Wine?” He asked as he turned to the trolley and he held up the large one. “On the house?” He asked them, they both looked at each other and their looks agreed with one another.

“Yes please.” They both agreed at the same time.

The Waiter bowed his head and he set the large bottle down, and Veronica picked it up and looked around. “I will be back with your meals shortly.” He assured and walked away. The two sat at the table and Killian looked at Veronica examined the bottle. She read the name and Killian looked at it.

 _Vasillias…that Cartel loves their Vineyard doesn’t it_? He thought to himself, the Vasillias Cartel did not simply get to the power it had gotten to simply through crime, but it all started through vineyards and Alcohol Production. And to this day, it was the same thing that they used for seventy percent of their earnings…the best method of Money Laundering is to use a highly profitable business to get the money through.

The bottle was quite large, filled with the deep red substance, but the cap had an almost golden accent to it, which made it look even more valuable. It was not real gold, just paint…but sometimes people would use that to their advantage to sell a quick profit. “This craftmanship is amazing…say what you want about the Vasillias Cartel…they know how to make a mean red wine.” She chuckled, and that made him chuckle as well.

“Indeed…” Killian agreed as he looked at the red wine. As he stared at it though…there was a flash of memory…a flash of blood. The amount of blood…it was horrifying…it reminded him of the amount of blood he saw when he arrived back home to find what remained of his parents…after Jackdaw attacked. But he managed to flinch them away and he looked down at the table. He softly exhaled and she did not notice, and he looked at her, luckily managed to push it away.

The smallest things…they could bring back the worst memories in seconds.

But as Veronica admires the bottle, her large eyes glance over to him, and then her expression changed. She set it down back onto the table slowly and she rested her arms down on the surface of the table. Killian looked at her as she did so, and then she finally said what was on her mind. “Okay…I guess it’s time for me to say it.” She said, and now his heart began to pound.

_Oh no…_

_What did I do wrong? Did I say the wrong thing?_

“I know when people lie to me, and I know your profession…if we are gonna do this, I need to know that you are going to tell me the truth. The _full_ truth. No lies…” She requested as she stared at him. He was legitimately wondering if she was going to ask that of him, simply because he was surrounded by liars. His business was hiding the truth from the world, and blending it with falsehoods…all to maintain peace.

No matter the cost.

He looked at her and he set his hands down on the table. “You know why I have to lie, don’t you?” He asked her, and suddenly things felt serious, not as cute and flirty as they were earlier…but he also understood why. Her job was information gathering, so she would know a lie when she heard it.

“I do…and no matter how dark your secrets might be…I can handle it. I have seen some messed up stuff in my line of work, Killian – so trust me…if you tell me the full truth, you will have a better chance of winning my trust than someone who lies.” Veronica explained.

She was strong, she stared him right into his soul, and demanded he told her the truth.

He couldn’t deny her, but since she worked in Recon and Intel…if anyone knew how to keep a secret it would be her.

He simply hoped she would not ask the questions that would link to Salem…how would you explain that?

“Okay…ask away.” Killian accepted her challenge and he waited to hear what the first question was. He expected it to surround the device on his chest, but instead it was about something more recent.

“Four years ago, you were at Beacon Academy when there was that attack. The public does not know but my contacts sent me whispers about a boy…a Paranoid Schizophrenic that was manipulated…like a bomb…was that you? To send a message?” Veronica asked him, he stared at her and he exhaled through his nose and looked at his scarred knuckles. He truly did not expect to be questioned like this on their first date…but at the same time…it made sense.

Veronica was far from thick, she knew he was a dangerous man.

“Yes. And I regret that decision to this day, it may have helped get the message across but too many innocents lost their lives. It was not controlled.” Killian explained, and Veronica nodded her head.

“And what about the Huntsmen and Huntresses? I may not be a huge fan of the Academies but they’re still kids.” She reminded and he nodded his head.

“I believed they were a necessary sacrifice…until I saw what they could do when they were united. That was what gave me the idea of banding them together under an idea that helped them more than hurt…” He explained and she nodded her head, understanding what he was leading up to.

“The Vytal Consensus.” Veronica deduced as she listened to him explain himself. “I get that…but was it worth what you did?” She asked him, and Killian looked right back at her.

“No.” He revealed. “What I did was wrong, and if I could go back and change it I would. Perhaps this operation I am on, it wouldn’t have happened. But I cannot go back and change past decisions…all I can do is make sure that the world believes the lie, sometimes a good lie can help people sleep at night.” Killian explained, and Veronica could not argue with that logic.

“You’re right about that…I remember coming across a village that was terrified of being attacked by Grimm, and they were right. They were near…but we lied to them and told them that the Grimm were gone.” Veronica explained as she looked at the reflection of her face in the glass. She saw herself…when she was younger and wearing her Guerrilla Warfare clothes and face paint.

“What did you do?” He asked her, she looked at him and she sighed.

“We told them this lie, and they all slept soundly in the night…when the Grimm came for them…we took them out silently. When they woke, the Grimm were gone. Our lie was a lie…but it saved them.” Veronica explained, and Killian nodded his head.

“But mine…did not. Not yet.” Killian said as he stared out. “That is my sin…my biggest failing…until my goal has been achieved, I will keep lying. Keep controlling the truth, like the clay in a child’s hand. One day my sculpture will be complete…but before it is…I will have to destroy it to start again.” Killian explained almost poetically, it gave Veronica chills. She was able to read people just as well as Killian could, and she could tell how dangerous he was…yet that did not scare her.

Because he was telling the truth.

“My mother always told me that I had a poor taste in men…I fell in love with men who were dangerous. A soldier from the White Fang…a War Lord once…I guess maybe if you keep on showing your honesty, you could stand out from the others.” Veronica said to him, and Killian felt…confused by that statement. He couldn’t tell if she was saying she liked him, or if she should walk away right now.

Killian could tell that she was about to ask him another question, so he asked her to. “Would you like to ask me another question?” He asked her curiously, and she nodded her head in agreement. She leant back into her chair and she took a sip…then an idea hit her.

“Alright…why don’t we make this a game?” She asked him. “Every time you tell me the truth, I drink. Every time I tell the truth, you do the same.” She suggested, and they both looked at the bottle of wine.

“Wanna see what’s at the bottom?” He asked her and she laughed.

“Maybe there’s gold.” She guessed, then they clinked their glasses together and both took a sip and set the glasses down. “Okay then…we’ve both told our truths…here’s the next question…Where did you start in your career?” She asked him. This one was far less invasive and relying of the truth than the last one was, and he felt more comfortable with this truth.

“Valerian Marine Corps. I was just a private at the start, a kid who wanted to fight against the terrible people. I built up my name over time and my skills…travelled up the hierarchy, I was invited to join the R.S.T.F, but I also was given a chance to join the Black Gallows. In time…I became the second in command…but when the last leader died…here I am.” Killian explained to her, and it was surprising to her how simple it was.

No murder, no betrayal…simple working up the hierarchy.

Veronica sipped her glass of red wine and she shook the alcoholic sensation from her body and she looked at him and sighed. “Go on…what do you wanna know?” She asked him, so he thought of a question. He did not want to jump straight to the leg, since he already knew it was because of a I.E.D, and the Huntsmen that were with them just ditched her.

The question popped into his mind.

“Most memorable mission?” He asked her curiously, she pondered through her memories and managed to pluck one of them out.

“Hmm…yeah I got one.” She began and she started to talk about it. “Back when I was on Recon Duty with my team, we were ordered to gather intel on a Rogue Huntsman from Vacuo. He was a murderer, a bit like this Jack the Ripper, but he preferred to set people on fire. He burned so many people with his semblance so we tracked him down to this old house…and I’ll never forget what it was that we all saw.” Veronica explained to him as she pictured it all in her head. “He was sat outside his house…and he was just waving at us. Waiting for us to come find him…turned out the guy wanted to send a message. To show that he was…strong enough to scare the whole world. To burn entire cities to the ground if he wanted to…he just wanted to be remembered.” Veronica explained and Killian looked at her.

“What did you do?” He asked her.

“I took the shot.” She told him, she was using a sniper rifle and killed him in a single shot. “We were going to bring his body back to be buried…but my Commanding Officer just told us to leave him there. A sandstorm came the next day…it swallowed him and his house. Nobody ever remembered him…he never got what he wanted. I’ll never forget that mission…I don’t know what it was, I had already seen terrible murders, that was not the thing that was out of the ordinary. No…it was the fact he was waiting.”

“It was justice.” Killian said to her, but she did not seem to be so confident in that idea.

“I don’t know…I never gave him the chance to tell his side of the story. I don’t know if I should have used a knock-out round…I just shot him.” She said with the shrug of her shoulders.

It would have seemed like for any other date, it was going rather weirdly, but in fact for the two of them, this was going better than either expected. They were comfortable enough to open up to each other about their past, about their missions and work…about everything. “He didn’t hurt anyone else…you did the right thing.” Killian told her, she looked at him and she still did not know. But she appreciated his supportiveness, that was something else she found very attractive about him…he was not just honest but he truly listened to every word she said.

Killian drank more of his wine after she finished telling her story. They gazed at each other, but before she could even ask…the Waiter returned with they delicious Spaghetti Bolognese dishes. Beautifully presented with mouth watering tomato and beef mincemeat atop the freshly made pasta. “Here are your meals, Sir and Madame.” The Waiter spoke to them kindly, and they smiled and picked up their cutlery and thanked him.

They decided to pause their game whilst they enjoyed their dinner, which was also extremely delightful. When they finished up, and their dishes were taken away, they continued with the game…which lead to Veronica asking her next question.

She looked at him, and then she reached over to him…and her finger touched the metal device attached to his chest. He looked at her finger and then at her again, he was wondering when she was going to ask that question. “What is that? And how did you get it?” She asked him curiously, he told her that it was a respirator but he did not go into detail. Killian stared at the device and he sighed, reached over to his glass and he drank all the wine in it. It surprised Veronica, because that was the first time he did that.

He set the glass and exhaled through his nose. “Alright…where to begin?” He asked her and he finally started to tell her the story.

“The device is a Magnetic Respirator, very rare since my condition is pretty unique in itself. The magnets inside of the respirator keep the disease in my body from killing me, and it also pumps in Painkillers from time to time…the pain still is there from the internal damage done to me.” Killian explained to her, and Veronica’s eyes were wide with surprise, and she just wanted to know more. She drank more of her wine and asked another question, since it was still in the main topic of the device, it counted.

“How did it happen?” She asked him, with concern in her voice.

“Have you ever heard of _Grave Dust_?” He asked her curiously, something that was a current problem too, since Jackdaw was using this dust to forge his weapons through the 3-D Printers inside of his cybernetic arms.

“Yeah, nano-tech designed to wipe out large legions of enemies, right?” She asked and he nodded his head.

“Well it didn’t start that way. The stuff was originally designed for medicinal use, to get into the body and patch up wounds that normal tools could not get to. To cure diseases, and countless other things. But as we know it now, things changed.” Killian explained, he leant forward and pressed his arms against the table as he told the story. “Many years ago, back when I was a soldier who worked for the Black Gallows, before I became the leader…we were sent after a Scientist who was messing with things extremely dangerous. Weaponized cybernetics…Artificial Intelligence…and most recently, Nano-Tech.” Killian explained to her as he remembered it all.

She listened to every word, just as he did for her.

“We managed to track the Atlesian down to an old facility of ours in the middle of the Atlesian Wildlands…we lost many soldiers on the way there, but we got inside. He had countless traps waiting for us, but when we got to where his signal was…it was just an empty chamber. He then pumped this modified Grave Dust inside of the cell…and the Grave Dust…it got inside of all of us. I watched my friends crumble away into dust in front of me…but they did not feel a thing. They screamed in fear as they watched their bodies die…but they did not even feel it.” Killian explained, which truly summed up how scary the nature of Grave Dust truly was.

“By the gods…” She gasped.

“I nearly suffered the same fate, if it wasn’t for the magnetic cells that were inside of the box we brought with us to try and shut down the nanites…I would be dead right now. But enough got inside of my body to kill me…I hugged those magnets for two days straight when I waited for backup. They arrived eventually, and they captured the scientist, and carried me back to the Shadow of Broken Promises. Our head crafter managed to create this Respirator, the magnets I hugged to my chest are still inside there now…still keeping me alive to this day.” Killian explained to her, and her eyes were wide with disbelief.

She could see the pain in his eyes, he watched his team die horrible deaths…and he didn’t. There was no worse feeling in the world.

_Why not me? Why did they have to die in my place?_

“You can’t take it off, can you?” She asked him, and he shook his head.

“If it breaks or it comes off for more than ten seconds…I’m dead.” Killian told her, and that truly did set the tone for his life expectancy.

Don’t mess with Nano-Tech.

“I’m so sorry.” She apologised. “What happened to the scientist?” She asked him, and Killian scoffed.

“My Superior hired him.” He revealed, and her eyes widened with disbelief and disgust. “His name was Arthur Watts.”

Veronica stared at Killian with awe of his story, and she could tell from his glassy eyes that it meant that it was a very personal story he told very few individuals. “Now…may I ask you a question?” Killian asked her, and she looked at him curiously. Now it was his turn to show his rather unnerving side, since she did the same with him earlier. “Why did you bring that pistol in your bag?” He asked her, and she looked right back at him. She exhales and reached down to her back and removed the gun, and set it down on the table.

It was an impressive looking firearm with floral patterns across the barrel in many colours. He held it in his hands and looked at her. “Did you think you were going to need it? That I was going to hurt you?” He asked her, and she gave him the honest truth.

“I wanted to know who I had a date with…if I was in danger, I would rather be cautious than stupid.” Veronica stated as she looked at it, and then she moved her dress aside to reveal a sheathed dagger on her prosthetic calve.

“Smart…” Killian said and he set the gun down on the table. “People like us have to be smart in our line of work…so…do you think I would hurt you? Am I a danger to you?” He asked her.

Her response was simple.

She suddenly leant across the table, held him by his cheek and kissed him very affectionately on his lips. They both inhaled as they held each other, and when they broke the kiss they were breathless. It shocked Killian to say the least. “No…you’ve impressed me, Nathaniel Killian. You didn’t lie once.” She whispered softly to him. “But I am curious…there is one more question.”

“And that is?” Killian asked her.

“Now that you are the leader…what happened to Arthur Watts?” She asked him.

“My superior demands he be kept alive.” She raised a brow, since she thought that he was in charge.

“I…I thought you were in command.” She asked.

“I am…but…”

He sighed.

“…we all work for someone.”

He closed his eyes…

And he could see her face, and he felt such shame.

Shame that he worked – for Salem.


	18. Memories of Kaldararr

**Salem**

It was an extremely unnerving place, Salem’s Sanctum.

She stood atop the cliff that overlooked her domain, where Darkness Reigned and the Grimm walked the surface. Giant pools of black tar bubbled and flowed into rivers, large lakes that gave birth to horrific nightmares. Nevermores glided around the spiked summits as they screech, slashed their claws and launched their feathers down into the weaker Grimm below. Older forms that were out of date, and thus were being destroyed, devoured and returned to the pools of blackness.

Packs of Beowulves stalked the land, and Salem watched them all walk around. She held her hands behind her back as she stared out at the land, her red eyes glows bright inside of her black scleras. Her white hair was formed into the shape of a large spider with eight legs, the jewels dangled from the limbs of hair, she exhaled through her nose as she saw it all. It was…beautiful to her…Creation and Destruction intertwined. Uncertain of which was which, monsters born from the very thing that would destroy all life.

She would stand here for days on end sometimes, just admiring her work, staring at the huge spires of purple crystals that stood tall.

But she did not have that honour today, she turned when she heard the sound of her ally and friend’s voice behind her. Doctor Arthur Watts stood behind her, the man who gave Killian the condition he suffered with every single day that passed by. He too had his arms behind his back, in which Salem changed her pose and her hands came together before her stomach. “Your Grace.” Watts greeted as he bowed his head respectfully.

“Doctor. I pray you bring news?” Salem asked him, since he was one of her Master of Whisperers. Killian too had his little birds out there, but Watts had a further reach in the Criminal Underworld, whereas Killian had the Militaries and Governments under view.

“I do, your Grace. You see I sent out my little birds to bring me information based on the whereabouts of our foes.” Watts explained, Salem walked down the stone steps towards the Disgraced Atlesian Scientist who stood before her.

“And? What song have your Little Birds sung about?” Salem inquired as she approached him.

“Ruby Rose and her companions are in Vacuo, alongside Jaune Arc and his followers. Killian has kept me informed on Jaune’s whereabouts, he has not located Ruby Rose yet, but he is closer than he thinks.” Watts explained to Salem and she nodded her head, and she calmly walked around the terrain outside of her large Castle. “I have already informed Hazel of this information, his mission has already been completed. Once he is out of their Headquarters with the Target, they have orders to attack them. Either sides, it does not matter really.” Watts shrugged his shoulders.

“Good, we must make sure that Jaune Arc’s capture is handled correctly. The Praetorian Knight was unable to capture him four years ago…we must be smart about this, if Killian’s Plan is to work. With the world on our side…they could simply give him to us.” Salem stated with a smirk and she closed her fist with scheming intent.

“Indeed, however there are still many people out there that oppose Killian. The Black Gallows have dealt with a few of them already, they have disappeared and erased so easily that it would be hard to notice they ever existed in the first place. But the Huntsmen and Huntresses are not the only problem, there are many more out there in the world. Entire Groups have started against him, even the White Fang seem to have some pull against them as well. Their place four years ago when they helped stop the Black Smog probably was enough reason for them to stand against Killian.” Watts explained as he and Salem walked back into the castle.

They both sat down at the table and they looked at each other, Salem sighed and nodded her head. “Sometimes I think it would be easier to just destroy the Kingdoms.” Watts stated.

“That is not my goal, Arthur. I have my own mission, yes…but I do not want to destroy this world along the way. I want it to be free from the corruption that harms it, and I want it’s people to be strong and ruled properly. Not as they are by these selfish politicians.” Salem scoffed as she sat there, and Watts nodded his head.

“I understand, Your Grace. You will lead this people into a better future, one they will be grateful for…it can just be so infuriating to watch and listen to these politicians complain with each other.” Watts groaned as he rubbed his eyes with his hands, which made Salem chuckle. The amount of stories he must have heard of the Politicians and all their dealings must have exhausted the man in his search for a way into the Government so Salem’s Return to power could be handled easily.

She slowly was gaining followers, but their goal was to infiltrate the Government with her own followers that serve her, like Watts, and once they were all that remained…the world would easily adapt to a new world order, and nobody would ever dare to stop it from happening. “Your Grace…about Killian…can I be honest with you?” He asked her, she leant back into her throne.

“Of course, you always have my ear, old friend.” Salem assured.

“Well, I worry for Killian’s mental health, Your Grace. He is delusional, I have witnessed his dance between choices and ideas. He goes from believing your Rule is absolute and then he switches immediately to doubting you. Not only does his loyalty stand in question, but I fear more for his mind…I have studied Human Nature and Behaviour and I have come to a conclusion.” Watts explained to Salem, and she just listened to him. He was one of the smartest men she knew, so his opinions and theories were always worth listening to. “The mind…”

He pulled out a piece of string and he slowly pulled both ends away from one another to the point of which it tightens. “…think of it as a string. When a person has two ideologies that oppose one another…the mind is pulled apart…over and over again. But eventually…that rope will snap.” He pulled the string apart in one sudden yank and it broke in half, and he dropped it. “I fear this will happen to Killian…and if he does, it will cause major problems. He has earned quite a name among the people of Remnant now, if he loses his mind and snaps…it could all collapse and the world would fall into chaos.” Watts explained to Salem, and she understood what he was saying.

Killian’s divided opinions could end up tearing him apart.

“You never did trust him at first…but now you seem more concerned than ever. Why is this?” Salem asked and Watts suddenly pulled out a photograph and set it down on the table. It was a shot of both Killian and Veronica back at the Veteran’s Home mere hours ago.

“I received this image. He has been speaking with this woman more and more lately. She is no real threat to our cause and does not seem to be effecting his opinion on standing with us, if anything she strengthens it, she believes he is right to stand against the Huntsmen, but he fears that if she learns of you…it could tear her away from him...or…if the world knows of her…his enemies could assassinate her. He loves her…if he loses her that could make the snap even worse.” Watts explained to her and she nodded her head.

“What is it that you propose that we do about this concern?” Salem asked him.

“Well we cannot…remove her…anymore. She loves him and he loves her, the two of them are probably together right now. I believe we need him to know that we will protect her, if he knows she is safe, that will not only restore his faith in our cause…but he will also have someone to turn to…someone who can help him stay focused on the task at hand.” Watts explained and Salem nodded her head.

“It would indeed maintain his strength on our side, keeping her safe could also show the world that my intentions for them is not annihilation.” Salem stated as she nodded her head. Watts agreed as he sat there, Salem glanced at him and she could tell that there was more on his mind, more news…she prayed it was good news.

“What other information have you heard, Arthur?” Salem inquired.

“Well…as it turns out I have learned something very curious, Your Grace. My Little Birds have informed me that amongst Raven Branwen’s Tribe that took in Ruby Rose and those who follow her…Cinder Fall is among them.” That name caught Salem’s attention and she turned her head with widened eyes. She looked right at her friend and raised a brow with shared curiosity with her.

“So she is indeed alive?” Salem realised.

“Yes, and now serving _against_ us.” Watts revealed, Salem clenched her hand into a fist and she gritted her teeth. Nothing angered her more than betrayal, even from someone who had failed her.

“This will be a problem, she is the Fall Maiden, that gives our enemies a great deal of power against our cause.” Salem stated with her resentment.

“Indeed…however…if we kill her and make sure that the power goes to someone on our side…that could prove very useful for our cause.” Watts stated.

“And who would you suggest? I cannot take the Maiden Powers, the Darkness has corrupted my ability to accept the gift.” Salem explained as she looked at her pale hand.

“We have two women now who could help us. Emerald Sustrai for starters…nobody could deny that power. But we also have this…Veronica. If she became closer, and joined our cause…we could promise her power, alongside the regeneration of her leg.” Watts explained as he pushed the picture of her towards Salem. She picked up the image and she looked at the old Prosthetic Leg.

“People will always follow those who will grant them what they desire most…the hearts of mankind…are easily swayed.” Salem said and Watts nodded his head. “Very good Arthur, we shall see how the events pan out, do you have anything else?” She asked him.

“No, Your Grace. I will keep listening to what my Spies bring me.” Watts said to her, and he got up to walk away…but before he left he paused and he looked back at her. “Actually…there is something I would like to show you. I have made some progress.”

She followed him into his Laboratory, and she looked around at the many things he had been working on. Cybernetic Augmentations, taken projects from Doctor Merlot, small Grimm with a Green Glow and a purple glow. But the thing that really was most interesting, was the pile of grey dust on the worktable. Salem crossed her arms as she watched Watts pull this gloves with glowing blue pieces attached to them, alongside a piece attached to the back of his head, to his neural network.

He smirked. “Watch this.” Watts said to her, he sounded legitimately excited. He held up his hand and there was a soft infrasound thrum, and then suddenly the Grave Dust started to float up into the air. It swirled around his hand like some kind of cloud…until a blade formed in his hand, one he pictured in his mind. Salem was also impressed, she was used to seeing this with magic…but this was technology, that anybody could use if they had the right gear.

“Impressive…” Salem softly said as she looked at the Nano-Tech.

“Grave Dust I supplied Jackdaw with. You see it can be controlled with an electronic charge, but provide one small enough that is linked to your neural point in your head? You can control it with great ease. And can form anything.” Watts said as the same dust suddenly formed into an Axe, razor sharp and could cleave a Grimm’s head clean off. “Or…I could use it to lift things far greater than me.” Watts stated, and that dust suddenly shot away from his hand and wrapped around a table and he lifted it up like it was made out of paper, and he moved it across the room and set it down in the corner.

The Grave Dust returned to Watt’s hand and it swirled constantly around him.

Salem looked at the table and turned back to Watts.

“So…what do you think?” Watts asked her curiously as the dust flowed like water around his clenched fist.

Salem smirked as she looked at him.

“Well done, Doctor Arthur Watts…you may carry on.” She said to him, and Watts grinned and bowed his head.

“It would be my pleasure, Your Grace.” He replied, and Salem turned away from him and walked away, and a smirk formed on her face, and her eyes glowed red.

She was getting closer to her end goal.

“They will suffer…both of them…for what they did.” Salem growled as her eyes glowed red.

 

**Yang**

The night was still dark in Vacuo…

The Shattered Moon watched the desert like the open and broken eye of a god. Some actually believed that that was exactly what the moon was in early times. That it was the broken eye of a god, and ever since the moon broke apart, his gaze caused the Grimm to attack again, a threat he could protect Remnant from for as long as he lived. But as soon as his eye was destroyed…he was blinded…and could not see the darkness that invaded his land.

His name was once Udinos, or at least that was what the old Religions claimed…Religions of which had all gone extinct. Udinos was claimed to be a giant, the giant that created Remnant from his own flesh, his tears filled the oceans when he felt alone…and his rage would cause Volcanos to erupt and Earthquakes to shake the world apart. It was said that a darker god, a god of destruction and death attacked him and destroyed his eye to bring hell upon Remnant and its people. Of course all of this was a lie…just an idea to keep the people in the Kingdoms under their control.

Yang stood at the window and she looked out at the darkness and the moon…she leant her head up against the window, sat beside Ruby’s bed. She finally helped her get some sleep, she struggled with sleeping most nights due to the nightmares she endured. She would see Neo some nights, she would feel the knife stab into her stomach, over and over again. She would see the Praetorian Knight and hear its terrifying voice…but now it was also Jackdaw Branwen. She still had never met the monstrous man, and yet he scared the daylights out of her, from the one image she ever saw of him was that recording he left behind at Beacon.

However she was finally asleep, quite peacefully too, her large silver eyes closed and silently sleeping in the bed. Yang gently caressed her cheek with her human hand, whilst the metal one was rested against the windowsill. Yang sighed as she sat there, then gasped when she heard the soft chuckle of Raven in the doorway. She turned and there she stood, with her shoulder pressed to the wall and she walked inside of their room slowly. “It’s amazing…how much she looks like her mother. Like a carbon copy.” Raven said as she walked in, and Yang looked at her.

“She’s so beautiful…I wish she wouldn’t be so hard on herself on so many things. She always would look at me and say that she wished she looked like me. But…I wanna be like her. So kind…and loving.” Yang affectionately said as she gently stroked her sister’s cheek. She looked back out at the Shattered Moon in the sky.

“What were you thinking about?” Raven asked her as she walked into the room.

“When I was with my team, a few years back…after the Black Smog…we received a contract in Anima. We had to destroy an Infestation of Grimm in a settlement. It was already completely wiped off the face of the planet. We just needed to avenge the people there, and when we got there we saw an old church, from a Religion long passed.” Yang explained as she remembered it. There were massacred corpses everywhere, but after they cleared it out they learned about the place. “They worshipped the Moon like it was a God, and claimed that an evil God of Destruction called Surtr blinded his only eye he had…and that was what let Surtr bring the Grimm onto our shores.” Yang explained as she remembered the old tale.

“I remember that one…the blood from his eye was said to birth the Silver Eyed Warriors as well, they had his gaze. I doubt it is true…but it was used to control the town.” Raven explained as she remembered it, and Yang nodded her head.

“And now they’re gone…just like all the other ones. It always seems to end that way for all the old Religions…do you think there are any gods out there? Watching over us?” Yang asked curiously, and Raven stood by the window with Yang, they both listened to the Desert Night Breeze outside.

“I don’t know…I’ve never heard them answer my prayers…well…except once.” Raven explained when she looked at her daughter. Yang raised her brow at her mother.

“What did you pray for?” She asked.

“When you were a baby…you came down with the fever…this was before I ran, before I saw Jackdaw outside of our window. You were crying constantly, you were in so much pain…Tai didn’t know what to do…Qrow felt like it was his fault for touching your cheek one time, because of his bad luck. So one night, I started to pray for you. I prayed that you would recover, that you would not hurt anymore…I said I would do anything.” Raven explained, she remembered it all so perfectly, and she closed her eyes with a sigh.

Yang stared at her mother, she never imagined her mother ever being there for her…ever being a mother in any kind of way. “Well…I’m here…so I’m guessing I recovered.” Yang assumed and that made Raven chuckle.

“Yes…you did. The next morning the whole fever was gone, and you were giggling…” Raven explained. “I was so happy…until I looked out the window.” She said, and Yang’s eyes widened.

“That was the day that you left me?” Yang asked with disbelief.

“Jackdaw was there, I know my brother’s Corvid Form like the back of my hand. The fact he was there, it scared the hell out of me. The last I saw of him he butchered so many people…and then he disappeared for years…ten years or something like that. Then five years later…he killed Summer. And now…sixteen years later…he has returned.” Raven explained and her voice was shaking.

“You’re afraid of him…” Yang said.

“Of course I’m afraid of him. Qrow was always driven by his hatred against him, but I am so scared of him…it was why I ran. He was always the most violent of the three of us, so when I saw him again, could you blame me for running?” Raven asked her, and Yang scoffed.

“Oh I dunno…maybe if you were there things would be better.” Yang stated as she crossed her arms over her chest and she kept staring out at the land.

“Maybe…but I cannot change that now. Hmph…I see that Summer’s personality definitely rubbed off on you, just like Tai’s.” Raven chuckled.

“Summer?” Yang asked her curiously.

“Oh yeah, she was always very sweet but by the Gods…she had a fire in her. Get on her bad side and she would devastate you a thousand times over…it reminds me of one of the first times I ever got into an argument with her.” Raven remembered as she sat down on Yang’s bed opposite from Ruby’s. Yang sat down on the edge of Ruby’s, they spoke softly so then they did not wake her up, but very little would ever wake her, she was a deep sleeper.

“Summer? Arguing? I can’t ever imagine that…she always seemed so sweet.” Yang stated from what she could remember of the five years she spent with her as a mother.

“Oh yeah, she could kill a Grimm with her arguing skills alone.” Raven chuckled. “When we were students at Beacon, she and I got into this stupid fight…over a book. I disagreed with something she liked in it, and she tried to explain why she liked it…but then I kept being an asshole to her about it. Called her stupid…said she wasn’t smart…” Raven still felt guilt for being the way she was to Summer. “Then she exploded on me…it shocked me…she was always so soft spoken and kind, and when I saw the anger that was in her…she vented everything to me. Did you know about her parents?” Raven asked Yang, and she shook her head.

“No…Dad never told me about them, and I was too young for me to remember if she ever did.” Yang stated, but she was worried now. She never wanted to believe that her mother had bad parents, but from the way that Raven had set up the story it was clear to her that this was where the story was going.

“She told me that her mother and father were both very horrible people, they would hurt her every single chance they had. Simply because they could…and when she was offered a place at Beacon Academy thanks to Ozpin, he made sure that they took her in early. All so then her parents wouldn’t hurt her again…although I think it was to do with her eyes as well.” Raven explained.

“What happened to her parents?” Yang asked with worry.

“After Summer died…they came to Tai’s house…when he was depressed…over and over again. They wanted to take you away…I guess so they could do the same. Or so they could collect money from their daughter’s death…I don’t know…I didn’t ask.” Raven explained, Yang paused and she gave Raven a stare of disbelief.

She did not even have to say it, but Yang had to ask. “Did you…kill them?” Yang asked, and Raven stared at her rather coldly.

“They never should have hurt my best friend…and I’d be damned if I let them take you and Ruby too.” Raven snarled.

“So…you…took away our grandparents?” She asked her, and Raven stared at her.

“Trust me, you would have never wanted them for Grandparents. They were cruel, and never would have deserved your love. They wanted to take you away and claim compensation left for Tai and the family for her death.” Raven explained, Yang was not sure of how she felt about it. It comforted her, since Taiyang was struggling with his depression extremely badly then, he had just lost his wife that he loved with all his heart. Raven stopped them from making it worse by taking the money he needed but never wanted away from him, money he needed to raise his two daughters.

But at the same time…who was she to decide?

It was hard to choose, but eventually she did make a decision of where she stood on this. And it was with Raven, she was in the right to do so, despite the fact she took matters into her own hands…it saved Taiyang from his own demons. It scared Yang slightly, but at the same time it made her feel…almost comforted. “I guess you were there for us after all.” Yang stated.

“They got what they deserved…I just wished I could go back in time…so then Summer would never have had to endure the childhood she did. It was why I admired her so much…despite everything, she did not become like her parents. She was kind, loving and just wanted others to be happy. Just like your sister.” Raven said, she got up and she walked over to Ruby’s bedside. She crouched down and looked at her as she slept. For a split second she truly saw Summer. “She even sleeps like her mother…I bet she probably likes to wake you all up the same way. Pulling the curtains open suddenly and singing at you until you were awake? I nearly killed her because of that once.” Raven chuckled.

Yang looked at her and laughed. “Yep…she does the same thing. Weiss froze her once just to shut her up…didn’t stop her though.” Yang giggled.

“Sounds like Summer too.” Raven chuckled. The two of them laughed, it felt good for both of them, to really feel like they were bonding. And they were, Yang was starting to see her mother for who she truly was. Ironically, she saw a lot of both Weiss and Blake in Raven. Blake was always the one who struggled to show her emotions to people, like Raven, and Weiss was always extremely grumpy and mean with Ruby in the early days, much like Raven was with Summer.

Raven looked at her arm, saw the metal plates that shifted and she touched it gently, and Yang flinched. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there…I heard the attack and I was on my way to try and help. Even though I said that I would only save you once…but I couldn’t leave you. But by the time I got to Vale…I saw the light. It reminded me of Summer…and I knew it was Ruby. She had the same eyes as her…then I saw Cinder falling from the tower. So I caught her with one of my portals…” Raven explained, and Yang stared at her mother.

“Why? Why did you save her? She killed Penny and nearly killed Pyrrha.” Yang questioned, so Raven gave her an answer.

“Well, at first I caught her because I wanted to sell her for ransom. I wasn’t sure if Vale had anyone left, it looked like the whole Kingdom fell, so I kept a hold of her until one of the Kingdoms offered the best price for her head. But after a while of talking with her, I learned she was the new Fall Maiden…and she would prove more useful if she worked for me. That…and…well, she was hiding from…Salem.” Raven explained, and Yang stared at her mother with fear.

“Salem…Ironwood talked about her when the Black Smog attacked us…he told us afterwards that she is some kind of entity that leads the Grimm. Do you know more? Who is she?” Yang asked Raven, she looked at her and her breath turned shaken.

“Who is Salem…huh…I wish I knew all the answers to that one. Ozpin had Qrow and I spy on her for a while, even after I left the family behind…but the things I found scared me half to death. I know she’s Human…or at least she was…I don’t rightfully know what the hell happened to her. But I know she is the most powerful thing on Remnant, and I’ve seen her command legions of Grimm.” Raven explained, she still remembered a haunting sight when she spied on her.

“I remember once…I watched Salem marching an Army of Grimm through a destroyed region, in a cursed land…there were so many Grimm that the smoke flowed through the whole land. And she saw me…I was in my Corvid Form and she stared me straight in the eyes, and she smirked. I flew off, it took me weeks to lose the Grimm that searched for me. When I went to spy on her again…I saw her decimate a city. Have you heard of the Collapse of Kaldararr?” Raven asked her.

“Yeah…a Vacuo City that tried to become it’s own Kingdom, not that far from here…but now it’s all gone.” Yang remembered.

“There were over three hundred thousand people there…and I watched as the city was swarmed by them from all sides. Their Huntsmen and Huntresses, their soldiers were wiped out in seconds. I watched from a distance…and they could not stop them, could not even lay a mark on her. Anybody that got close to her or even managed to land a hit did nothing at all, I saw swords cut through her, cannons would rip her body to shreds…blown up by bombs…but no matter what she kept on coming. It took her an hour…an hour…to wipe Kaldararr off the face of Remnant. I’ll never forget the howling screams of the people being eaten alive…and when the last people died…there was silence. Nothing more…” Raven explained.

Yang was silent with fear.

“That…is Salem.” Raven told her. “After I saw that city fall…I told Ozpin that I did not want to fight for him again…I could not watch Salem ever again…not after that. And he let me go…I told him I was sorry, and I thanked him for the second chance he offered me, but I failed him. I failed all of you, because I was afraid.” Raven explained, she sat down and pressed her back against the radiator as she sighed.

Yang looked at her and she did something she never thought she would do for Raven Branwen.

She reached over and gently squeezed her mother’s shoulder. “You haven’t failed…not yet…because you’re here. It will take me time to truly forgive you for everything…but I believe in trying. I believe this can be made right, and after Jackdaw is killed…we will stop Salem.” Yang promised, Raven looked at her and she chuckled.

“You’re braver than me.” Raven said. “How aren’t you scared?”

“Oh I am…I really am…but I ran and hid from what happened to my arm…I’m done running now.” Yang stated as she looked at Raven. Her mother smiled and she truly looked so proud of her daughter.

“I am proud of you, Yang. I know we have our differences, and I know we will have many arguments in the future…but I am proud you have grown up into the person you are today.” Raven said to her daughter, and it made Yang smile too. She never realised how much she just needed someone to tell them that.

That they were proud of her.

“Speaking of Jackdaw…what should we get tomorrow? We’re heading to Anima, right?” Yang asked her mother curiously, and Raven cleared her throat. It was time they changed the subject, they were as bad as each other when it came down to opening up about their feelings to people.

“Right, yes…remember to go into the Marketplace. Buy some ammo and Winter Gear, we already have some at the Camp, but if you want anything…I guess stylish…make sure you get some. Just keep your heads down, if the Black Gallows aren’t here yet…they will be tomorrow.” Raven warned and Yang nodded her head.

What they did not know was that the other halves of their team would be with them.

Raven got up and she gently caressed her daughter’s cheek. “It was good talking to you, Yang…I hope to talk again soon.” Raven said to her, and Yang smiled. She did not hug her and Raven accepted that, since they had not reached that point yet.

One day though.

One day.

 

**Killian**

When morning broke…

Killian was still asleep in the bed of the hotel room he had rented for the night. He had many scars on his torso from his long line of duty in the military, stab wounds, bullet wounds and scars from explosions he was caught in. But the most noticeable was the scarring around the Magnetic Respirator attached to his sternum to prevent the Grave Dust from devouring his body to the point of destroying him and killing him.

In the bed next to him, snuggled up to his side with her head resting on his chest was Veronica. Both were completely unclothed after their romantic night together. It went extremely well indeed, and she had a few scars as well. She had three deep ones right across her back from where an Ursa Major slashed its claws across her. It managed to cut straight through the armour plating, as if it were not even there. Her long locks of dark brown hair laid across his right arm that held her as she slept.

But as he slept…he starting to jolt and shake slightly in his sleep. He could hear it, the gunfire, the explosions…the fear of war. It was as if he was still there, and in his mind he could see it all. Battling against the Grimm that were attacking them after they fought the Poached Souls.

He grunted as he fell against the ground, a large explosion from a missile erupted right in front of him. He coughed as he reached across the soil towards his rifle, he had to keep his head down to avoid the bullets that shot through the wind over their heads. “Look out!” One of the Valerian Soldiers screamed at him. It was hard for Killian to remember a time when he was not suffering with respiratory problems due to the Grave Dust.

Killian threw himself back to the ground and he fell onto his back, and he aimed his Assault Rifle up at the Beowulf that leapt towards him with a roar. He fired repeatedly, held the trigger down and kept shooting until the gun went clicking. The Beowulf crumbled away into smoke around him, killed and he panted, gasping for air as he tried to get back up. One of the soldiers grabbed him by the soldier and pulled him up to his feet. “We need to fall –!” He did not even finish the sentence, when a bullet suddenly shot into the side of his head, the impact blasted his brains from the other side, and his eyes turned lifeless. He collapsed down onto the ground, and Killian stumbled and collapsed back into the mud again.

He slipped across the mud as he tried to get up, and he started to sprint as fast as he could, his lung hurt from the fatigue he felt, and he fell down into the grass on the other side. He nearly went straight into the open, where bullets shredded the terrain in front of him. He crawled back and hid behind the destroyed truck he was in. “WHERE’S THE DAMN REINFORCEMENTS?” Killian bellowed at the top of his lungs, the chain of command collapsed. He was only a corporal and their Captain was killed early on. He held his rifle and he fired it repeatedly after reloading a fresh magazine into it.

“No word from Base!” The soldier called back with the radio, they were having to share ammo, whilst they also used their swords and knives to kill the Grimm that were being drawn into the battlefield. Suddenly a Creep charged into Killian’s side, so hard that it knocked him down into the ground, winded him and made him cough up his blood. He reached over and drew his knife and he stabbed it right into the throat of the beast. It growled and roared in agony as Killian stabbed it over and over again, his black blood splattered across his face and his arm. He pushed the knife so deep into the screeching beast’s throat that his whole forearm ended up inside of its thick neck.

It faded away around him, and he turned with horror as one of his companions got grabbed by a Griffin that suddenly descended from the sky. It grabbed him and took off into the air. He shrieked in horror and Killian aimed his rifle at the Griffin and he fired, and it blew the wing apart from the shoulder. But that did not save him, they both fell and he crashed into the ground hard. He tried to get up but his leg snapped, and suddenly a pack of Beowulves swarmed him, and they ripped him apart. Dug their claws and sunk their teeth into him as he screamed at a very high pitch.

The green grass turned red from his blood and guts that sprayed across the jet black Grimm and their fur. “This is it…” Killian whimpered with fear, he leant his head against the destroyed truck and he felt the heat of the flames against his body. Until he heard the sound of the Poachers inside of the fortress being swarmed by Grimm. They did not care for who was on what side, they were all prey.

“The Grimm are in! There’s a Goliath! RUN!” One of the Poachers screamed in horror, but they locked the gates. They could hear their blood curdling screams as the Grimm swarmed in and tore them all apart. Killian had to press his hands against his ears to block out the screaming.

He could still hear the screaming…

…even now.

The screams suddenly made him wake up with widened eyes, he panted as he touched his face, he could still feel the mud stuck to his face. He could feel the warmth of the flames from the destroyed truck…but it was Veronica’s warm body with her arms around him. He pressed his hands against his head and he sighed, and closed his eyes. Veronica got up, she was woken up by his panic, and she gently wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her head on his shoulder “What’s wrong?” She asked him with concern.

“I-I…just a bad dream…” Killian muttered as he felt the memories fade away.

“Dream or a Memory?” She asked him, end of the day she knew Post Traumatic Stress better than most due to the fact that she knew what it felt like, and the symptoms of it.

“Memory…of the Poached Souls Siege I told you about…” Killian stammered, he sighed with annoyance. “Over twenty years ago…and it still haunts me like it was yesterday.” Veronica affectionately kissed his cheek and she turned him around and she looked right into his eyes.

“What was it that you remember feeling first?” She asked him curiously, he raised a brow with confusion.

“Huh?” He asked her.

“When you had the bad dream? What was the first thing you felt?” She asked him again, so he remembered, and the first thing he did remember feeling was the heat of the burning truck he had to take cover behind to survive the warfare.

“I felt…the fire…” He told her, and she held his hand and she gently pressed his hand against her chest, and he felt her warmth again.

“It might have been me…memories can be triggered from the smallest things. Sometimes it can be the sound of a pen clicking, and it can bring you back to when you has to cock a rifle. Sometimes it is smell of a burning fire…or maybe the warmth of a lover’s body on you.” She said and he felt her and gently pressed her head to his, and he did the same. He never felt so peaceful before, he always struggled with opening up to people in the past.

Veronica…she was something very special to him.

“I can help you…we can help each other. I know ways that help people find a way to escape our past.” She whispered lovingly to him. She then kissed him passionately, her hands wrapped round the back of his neck and he held her close. She smiled and exhales.

“Okay…” He agreed, and he turned to the side of the bed and he grabbed his pants and pulled them on, before he got his trousers. He stood up and the light shined upon the scars across the body. Veronica stayed in the bed and she rested her hand against the side of her head as she seductively gazed at him. He looked at her and he chuckled. “How am I meant to get to work with you looking like that?” He asked her.

“I mean…we got an hour before work…we don’t have to get changed yet.” She suggested as she held out her hand.

“You’re right…I would love to make love to you again…last night went really well. But…my men will get jealous soon.” He said as he thought about it, but then he heard his scroll beep, so he picked it up and he looked at it.

_Sis_

_Hey bro, just so you know it’s your nephew’s birthday soon. If you can I’d love to see you come round, we’d love to see you again._

_You know how much my baby loves your stories._

  * _T_



He chuckled and he set his scroll down on the table and he sat down on the edge of the bed and she leant up with the covers still held to her breasts. She gently stroked his shoulder as she looked at him. “Who was that?” She asked.

“My sister, reminding me it’s my Nephew’s birthday soon.” Killian said to her.

“You have a sister? I thought you lost your family to the Ripper?” She asked him.

“I did, but I was taken in by a Foster Family in Argus. They were very kind to me…well except for the Dad. He’s a racist, homophobic and sexist asshole…pretty much all of the above. Her mom is a kind person though, I rarely ever saw the father. But they treated me as one of their own…when I was twenty my Foster Sister was born, she looks up to me as a brother.” Killian explained to her, it made Veronica feel better. At least he had some kind of family growing up, losing one’s parents was always a very hard thing to go through.

“They sound like nice people.” She said.

“Yeah…hey next time we’re in Argus, we should meet them.” He suggested as he turned to her, she smiled and nodded her head.

“Yeah…I’d like that.” Veronica nodded her head, before she lovingly kissed him again.

“I’m…I’m not going too fast am I?” He asked her, and it made Veronica laugh.

“Oh no, don’t worry. I like that about you…it’s sexy…you don’t waste any time.” She softly said as she kissed him again. She started to pull him down and she kissed him over and over, and he wanted to. He massaged her skin with his hands, but then they broke away and he laughed.

“I have to go to work.” He said sadly, and she giggled. She threw the covers off and she got up, and she picked up her clothes and put on her bra and pants on in front of him. She reached down to her shirt and pulled it over her chest, and sat back down on the bed. Killian walked over to her and he crouched down and he gently took off her Prosthetic Leg for her so she could put the trousers on. He gently kissed her leg and she smiled and caressed his cheek.

“Little charmer, you.” She giggled and she pulled her trousers over her slender leg. The other one just flopped where the knee stopped. She was still very Self-Conscious about it, so Killian kindly rolled up the trouser leg for her. It rolled up to her knee, and he reconnected the plastic leg prosthetic. “I hate the Government…I do not hate the kids at those Academies, I hate the funding differences the damn Militaries have. They only offer enough for the weapons and vehicles…but not for helping their wounded.” She stated with anger, and Killian nodded his head as he walked over and picked up his white shirt.

“I know…it’s the first thing I want to fix if the Vytal Consensus goes through is the funding for Veterans…the Huntsmen have High-End Cybernetics, so why can’t soldiers who risk their lives?” He asked, and she nodded her head.

“We’re not interested in the fame…we fight for our Kingdoms.” She agreed with the nod of her head and she started to tie her long chocolate brown hair back into a ponytail. Killian buttoned up his shirt as he stood at the window. But then he slowed down and Veronica noticed his mood change and he furrowed his brow. “Nathan?” She softly said, but then he suddenly picked up the Sniper Rifle he had in the corner. It was not his, it was hers, she used it on her Recon Missions and before they had sex they were talking about the weapons they used. They were able to keep their weapons on them, since they had the authority to.

“The crowd…something’s going on the Marketplace down there.” Killian told her, and he aimed his rifle at the commotion. He stared through the advanced scope, and he followed the individuals that he saw.

He could see Pyrrha and Jaune sprinting and barging through the crowd…he followed the line of pursuit.

And he saw them.

Ruby and Yang, barging through the crowd to escape them.

He slowly lowered the rifle with widened eyes. “Damn…” He realised, he picked up his combat Jacket and he zipped it up, and clipped his holstered belt around his waist. “I need to go!” He told her, and held her close and he passionately kissed her and he sprinted through the door and he ran down the hallway, with Veronica looking down behind him. “All Black Gallows forces! Weiss, Blake, Winter! Pyrrha and Jaune are in pursuit with Ruby and Yang! Head to the Marketplace! NOW! Non-Lethal rounds only! Do not kill them, we need them alive!” He ordered with his bellowing voice.

It was as if he had two completely different personalities…because now…the Commander was back…but was it the monster that manipulated Jaymes Ickford four years ago?

 

**Jaune**

Minutes prior…

Jaune and Pyrrha both were walking through the Vacuo Marketplace together, they held hands as they looked around and curiously browsed through the different clothes that were on sale around them. But as they walked, they could see the many Holographic Posters of their faces.

Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, Eryka Vasillias and Qrow Branwen.

However they really needed some updated pictures, because it was images of them from the Vytal Festival and a picture of both Qrow and Eryka that was at most ten years old. Eryka looked like a kid in her picture.

“No wonder nobody has seen them, they could have chosen some better pictures of them.” Jaune chuckled as he walked with her, moving past the people that were in their way. But as they walked, they both came across a Market Stand that was selling some clothes. A smile graced Pyrrha’s face and she picked up a hoodie and held it over her chest.

“Hey Jaune! Check this out!” She cooed, and that made Jaune chuckle, since it was the same Pumpkin Pete’s hoodie he was wearing.

“Hey…that’s familiar…” Jaune joked as he tapped his chin curiously, and it made her laugh. “Y’know I wear this thing more than you, maybe I should be the model.” He said as he playfully mimicked one of her poses. “Check me out!” He wobbled and nearly fell over since he had poor balance.

“I know Pumpkin Pete’s would do better with a cutie like you.” She giggled, which made Jaune chuckle. They both started looking at the different clothes and Pyrrha moved one. “Hey Jaune, how about… this?”

She pulled out a hat. “Think I can pull this off?”

Jaune chuckled heartily. “You can pull off anything.” He turned to the clothes rack, grabbing a flannel shirt. “Me on the other… hand.”

He froze and his eyes widened. “Pyrrha…” he turned serious and she turned, and she saw them. Ruby and Yang were just noticeable through the crowd, and they were buying ammo and the winter gear that Raven suggested that they would buy. Ruby smiled to the Merchant as she handed it to her. They both started to walk towards them, but a kid suddenly ran up to Pyrrha with excitement.

“You’re PYRRHA NIKOS!” The kid cheered and hugged her, her eyes widened and she turned and his voice caused the two of them to turn. Their eyes widened with disbelief of who they saw.

“J-Jaune? Pyrrha?” Yang gasped.

“How can you be here?” Ruby whimpered. Jaune looked at Pyrrha and she looked at him.

“Guys. It’s us, okay?” Jaune slowly stepped closer. Every step made Ruby and Yang step back. “C’mon, don’t be paranoid, it’s really us.”

“Just me, Jaune, Blake and Weiss.” Pyrrha added slowly.

“Weiss and Blake came?!” Yang gasped. Pyrrha nodded.

“How are you here?! The-The feathers and the...” Ruby held her head.

“Yeah! The Academy! It was gonna blow if anyone else…” Yang added with fear.

“Guys!” Jaune snapped Ruby out of it. “We care about you. We’re family. Now… c-come home, kay? Come home with us, before things get any worse. We can hop a train, talk about all of this, explain all of this… get back to school like… like nothing happened! “ Jaune begged them.

“Like nothing happened? You just expect us to let Jackdaw escape?” Yang questioned.

“We can’t…he…he killed my mom. He cannot get away with this.” Ruby stated as she stared at him.

“I know…but it’s not your mission, it’s not your duty to go after him. Just please, come with us…we can be a family again. It’s not too late to stop this.” Jaune begged them desperately.

Ruby and Yang shared a look, but the moment shattered when Jaune’s radio crackled.

“Head’s up Arc, Nikos, Yang and Ruby were sighted in the Markets, repeat, Yang and Ruby sighted in the markets, over.” The Black Gallows soldier’s sharp voice snapped.

Jaune scrambled to shut the radio up, a long moment of held breaths, as their eyes locked.

And Ruby’s watered as she said one last thing, with heart ache fuelling those two syllables.

“Liar.”

Both Ruby and Yang turned, running as fast as they could.

“Damn it! Guys stop!” Jaune begged as he ran after her, and Pyrrha had to pull the kid off her.

“I’m sorry! I have to go!” She called to the child and she sprinted with Jaune after them, barging through the crowds.

They had been caught…

…and the Black Gallows were coming.

 


	19. Favela Pursuit

**Weiss**

The Vacuo temperatures did not agree to the Schnee Heiress.

Her skin already felt like it was on fire, the searing heat from the sun in the sky just seemed to cut into her body repeatedly, time after time. She rubbed her wrist across her forehead, the sweat that accumulated there washed away, but it never managed to cool her down. Blake on the other hand was more akin to the climate, due to being born and raised on Menagerie. “Gods…how did Sun live here for so long?” Weiss questioned.

“Well…his name is _Sun_. Be a bit weird if he hated the desert.” Blake joked, which made Weiss laugh. The two of them walked towards the building before them, where they saw some Homeless Faunus, who ran from Atlas to find shelter from the Slavery Problems in Mantle…Weiss had heard about the Slaves that ran from Atlas and Mantle, but she never imagined that it was this serious.

However, Blake had heard of this little charity that was made for the Faunus who were on the run from the Oppressive Power of the Schnee Dust Company up North. They both entered and they looked around, the building was hardly picturesque, but it was a home. It was something where Faunus could be safe, and could acquire legal identities and passes which would protect them from the Schnee Dust Company and the soldiers that they would send out across the world to find lost slaves.

Many of them before now were never this lucky. “This is…I’ve never seen anything like this.” Weiss gasped, she saw children were here as well. She did not know if her father had made Faunus Children work in the Dust Mines or not, but nothing would surprise her when it came to his immoral decisions.

She saw families, all of them were hiding from the cold eyes of Atlas and its government of corrupt, money hungry politicians. Blake approached a family and she smiled, the family smiled back, they immediately recognised her. Everyone heard about the Belladonna Family, the ones that helped bring peace between Humanity and the Faunus, but it was not a perfect peace. Like the Schnee Dust Company there were still other threats out there, like the White Fang. Some Faunus out there did not feel so quick to forgive the Humans for their past sins, and wanted to make sure that they felt the same pain.

She could still picture Adam’s face whenever she thought of how Spite could corrupt even the best of people.

“Hello…how long have you been here at this Refugee Centre?” Blake inquired curiously, she gave them each some liens to make sure that they were happy and safe.

“We’ve…been hiding here from the S.D.C for about three weeks now. My husband managed to break us free from Mantle, we ran and took the first flight to Vacuo.” The mother explained as she held her three year old daughter in her arms. The family were all Stag Faunus, with small antlers which protruded from their heads.

“I’m very sorry, I know things are really difficult at the moment. We have been working very hard to lessen the divide…but the Schnee Dust Company has bigger reach than us, and more people need their money and dust than they need us.” Blake explained with disappointment in her voice.

“Some of the people here…not all of them were as lucky as us. There’s a young woman over there, the Lioness Faunus? She had a large family when she was held at Mantle to work in the Mines…but when she and her family tried to escape, the Atlesians captured her family…and she was the only one to make it out.” The Father explained, she sat there, in tears, unable to stop crying from her regret of being unable to save the one thing she ever held dear. Weiss looked at the woman, she felt that stinging pain of grief for the woman.

“It pains me to see so many good people suffering…but I promise you, we will change things. The Faunus and the Humans will one day be able to live in harmony.” Blake promised.

Blake smiled sweetly, then the Husband stared straight at Weiss Schnee. The Daughter of none other than Jacques Schnee, the man that so many Faunus have learned to fear. When the family all looked at her, they shared his fear of her, the white hair and the blue eyes was enough reason to be afraid of her. Weiss felt it stab…it hurt…she never wanted anyone to be afraid of her, only her enemies, and these people were as far from being her enemies as the most distant star was to the tip of her finger.

Weiss lowered her head sadly, but then she crouched down and she gave them all a tremendous amount of Lien, not only would they be able to afford authentic and legal identities, but it could even give them a home. Their eyes bulged from their sockets with disbelief. “I’m not like my father…I want to see him out of the Schnee Dust Company just as much as you do. He’s no real Schnee – he’s a Gele, nothing more. Just a man from a family that came from nothing…a parasite.” Weiss explained, and pretty soon everyone started to listen to her words.

Blake smiled, she never would have expected that Weiss Schnee – the once very prim and proper girl who was quite judgemental of the Faunus at first – would be here, giving so much to people she had never met before. Weiss stood up and she began to speak to everyone in the room. “I am the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.” She began, they all listened to her words as she stood there.

“I know who I am, and I know that you all must see me as some kind of…weapon. A monster that you wait to see lurking in the shadows, ready to take you back to the hell that you just escaped from.” Weiss explained to them all, she spoke with such certainty and grace. It amazed Blake as well, since she was also never much for a spokesperson, that was more for the showy people. But it was clear to her that Weiss believed in what they were trying to accomplish. “But I am not – I aim to fix the many problems that my father has created. I will not, I promise you, allow my father to continue in doing this. When I become the new Owner of the Schnee Dust Company – I promise that I will focus all my personal earnings on the betterment of Human/Faunus Relations. I will make sure that the Dust Mines will be properly maintained…and not worked on by low paid Faunus Only workers.” Weiss explained.

This was always her dream, her goal in her whole life. To take her Father’s place in the Schnee Dust Company, to help the world improve. To be more like Nicholas Schnee, her Grandfather, to help people every single change she had.

“I might be a Schnee, but I am also a Huntress. And it is my job to protect people, to defend those who can’t defend themselves. I know you don’t know me, I know you don’t trust me. I will not ask you to, trust has to be earned, and it cannot only be earned through Lien.” She stated, she held the lien cards in her hands and she sighed heavily. “That is why I want to help Blake Belladonna and her family, to personally help every single one of you. Because you are all kind, and good people – and deserve to live happy, and prosperous lives.” Weiss explained as she lowered her hand.

Her speech, it was incredible, and the Faunus all began to give her a round of applause. Blake did the same, she clapped, and smiled, Weiss smiled back at her Faunus Friend who was so proud of her. Weiss flicked her long tail of hair over her shoulder again, and she walked over to that family, and she gently booped their child on the nose playfully. “I am going to personally fund these Refugee Centres for the Faunus…perhaps…with my donations it can help more of you lead better lives.” Weiss explained as she looked at the family.

“A-Are you sure?” The mother stammered.

“Of course – not everyone was as fortunate as me, but also there were others who had better fathers.” Weiss stated with a scoff. “If I do not do my part, then how will my dream for the world become a reality?” She asked them, the father smiled and he stood up, towering above the Schnee Heiress. But then he wrapped her up in a tight yet gentle hug, the warmth was more welcoming that the scorching hot Sun in the sky.

“Thank you…so much.” He tenderly said to Weiss.

She beamed with joy, there was no other way to describe how she felt whenever she knew that her actions helped people. “Thank you…” He said again, more tearfully that time as well.

“You don’t have to thank me – you will never have to.” Weiss assured kindly, the man smiled at her, and turned to his family again. Blake walked over to Weiss with a smile on her face.

“That was a great speech, Weiss…” Blake said to her friend, Weiss blushed slightly as she smiled shyly.

“Thank you.”

“You’ve grown a lot since we first met, you know. I remember when I first ever saw you and thought you were gonna be some kind of childish, rich-girl brat.” Blake chuckled, she never even realised she was picking up the sort of colloquialisms that Sun and Yang would use all the time, like _rich-girl_.

“Gods…don’t remind me.” Weiss groaned as she buried her face in her hands, softly chuckled within the palms.

However, their tender moment of friendship shattered like glass when they heard the sound of their scrolls vibrating in their pockets. They pulled them out and saw that it was the Pictureless Name of Commander Killian.

They both answered and heard his commands.

“All Black Gallows forces! Weiss, Blake, Winter! Pyrrha and Jaune are in pursuit with Ruby and Yang! Head to the Marketplace! NOW! Non-Lethal rounds only! Do not kill them, we need them alive!” He ordered with his bellowing voice.

Their eyes widened with disbelief, then they both sprinted out of the Refugee Centre, headed to the coordinates that were placed on the map.

This was their best chance to stop the Rogues before the situation got any worse.

 

**Ruby**

Roses danced behind her as she ran as fast as she could, Yang right beside her, barging through the crowds of people in Vacuo. Some of which were simply trying to buy their groceries for the week. Ruby crashed right into one of these people, accidentally knocking their bag of goods down onto the floor. “Hey! Come on!” The man yelled.

“I’m sorry!” She apologised, but she could not stop, for right behind her were Jaune and Pyrrha. The Spartan vaulted across the crate of goods and she kept sprinting, with Jaune moving through the crowd, neither of them had taken their weapons out yet for many reasons, the main being they did not want to hurt people, whether it were their friends or the innocents in their path. Pyrrha jumped and caught onto the piece of rope that connected two of the tents together, swinging over the people, landing down on the ground behind their friends.

Jaune barged through the thick crowd, then saw them both start to make their way up the steps towards the larger, concrete and adobe buildings. Pyrrha saw a crane with a cable holding up some pallets that was in their way, so she threw the Discus Shield, which sliced straight through the metal cable that held the counterweight. Suddenly the heavy block of steel came rocketing upwards, breaking the crane apart, and dropping the many pallets that were held up in front of Ruby and Yang. They both slowed down, but they dropped down over the side, down into the street below.

Yang fired Ember Celica beneath her body, which helped propel her body up into the air, which made both Jaune and Pyrrha go round the sides to pursue the sisters. Pyrrha took the hardest path, since she was nimbler than Jaune was, and she could get round the people that were in her way. She jumped and she ran across the side of the wall to keep moving, not getting slowed down by the crowds of people that blocked her path. Jaune’s was not as difficult, but he was fast as well, more athletic thanks to his training with Pyrrha.

He slid down the slope, and he charged faster and faster to try and get to Ruby and Yang, but they were still ahead of them. Ruby drew Crescent Rose and she slashed it across the rope that also held up some boxes with packets of crisps inside. It dropped down in front of Jaune, blocking his path. That was the closest he could have ever gotten to them. “Come on, guys!” Jaune yelled desperately for them to stop, but they were not about to stop. They had a mission, a duty, and they were not about to let the Black Gallows take that from them.

Yang looked up and her eyes widened when she saw Pyrrha suddenly jump down from above, and she landed down right in front of Ruby. She held her shield and blocked them from going any further, with Milo pointed at them. Jaune blocked them from the rear with his shield opened up, blocking their other exit. Ruby and Yang looked at each other, and then at Pyrrha who held her ground.

“That’s enough!” Pyrrha yelled. “Just stop this…we don’t have to fight.” Pyrrha stated, she held her ground in the Spartan Stance, but she knew that this was not going to be enough to stop them if they chose to flee.

“We don’t wanna fight you either! But we can’t stop! You don’t know what it’s like! Either of you! You don’t know how it feels to lose a mom! Not to a monster like Jackdaw.” Ruby growled, she did not want to even draw Crescent Rose but her hand remained close to the grip in case if she was left no other choice but to fight her close friends. Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other, and they felt for the two of them. Because they were right, both of them still had their parents, and that must have been why both Nora and Ren followed them.

And why Weiss and Blake also chose against the idea of following, Weiss’ family may have been unsupportive bar her older sister…but she never lost them, her mother was not murdered by a psychopath.

“Please, just walk away. Go back to Beacon, Jackdaw is our responsibility, it is up to us to stop him from hurting anyone else!” Yang argued with them, but Pyrrha refused to yield.

“I understand, and I am sorry. I really am, if circumstances were different I would be helping you right now.” Pyrrha stated.

“We all would.” Jaune added.

“But we can’t, the Vytal Consensus has more signs than not, it may as well be put in place already! Don’t you understand that sometimes we have to make decisions we don’t want to make for a better future?” Pyrrha questioned as she held Milo and Akoúo as tight as she could, ready to fight.

“A world controlled by Killian? Where we can’t do the things we have to do? Go to the places we need to go?” Ruby questioned.

“There are Academies all across Remnant, and Huntsmen and Huntresses everywhere! Calling the nearest ones to the area will be faster and more productive than waiting an hour for them to show up!” Jaune argued, but neither of the sisters were about to accept this idea.

“Do you seriously think he won’t use this to twist it against us? He tried to kill us all last time.” Ruby reminded.

“I remember, we all do. But I promise you, he has changed. He does not want to kill us, it’s the whole reason behind the Consensus.” Pyrrha stated.

“You mean the Document he created because we caught him out? After all the people that Ozpin sent out to take his ass down mysteriously disappeared? He’s solidifying his control, his reputation, across all of Remnant. Turning the people against the Academies! I can promise you, right here and now, in the future, the practice of Huntsmen will be banned. All so then he can deliver the justice he thinks is right! Who is he to make that call?” Yang questioned as she stood right in front of Pyrrha, her hands stretched out. Pyrrha looked around and noticed that people were hearing Yang’s words about Killian. She heard them all begin to talk amongst themselves, they were starting to think about what she was saying.

The Black Gallows was always a feared Faction of the Military, since they would do the terrible things to keep the world from tearing itself apart. But there were plenty of people out there in the world with a hefty grudge against the Gallows…people who lost loved ones who got close to the truth.

People who could find closure…and could even help tear them down.

This could be the start of it.

Pyrrha stared back at Yang, and she narrowed her eyes, she did not know what to say to her, because her words made sense. But at the same time…Killian had more power than any of them. Whether or not she believed her words, it did not matter – they would have a better chance of securing a future for the Huntsmen if they did as they were commanded. “You’re right…but we can’t change anything Yang…we can just follow the flow.” Pyrrha told Yang, the Sisters shook their heads in disagreement.

“You’re wrong.” Ruby told her, when suddenly she transformed into Rose Petals, and flew at Yang. Both red and yellow petals swirled into Pyrrha so hard that it knocked her onto the ground. They both took off sprinting away from the couple, Jaune ran to his girlfriend and checked if she was okay.

“Pyrrha! Are you alright?” He asked her with worry, Pyrrha pulled Akoúo back into her grasp with her Polarity, pushed her hand against her knee, standing tall, watching the sisters sprinting ahead of them.

“I’m fine, come on! We have to stop them!” Pyrrha shouted as she sprinted past the watching crowd, the questions and thoughts were plastered into their minds.

“C’mon, Weiss, Blake…where are you?” Jaune muttered.

Ruby looked over her shoulder to see that Pyrrha and Jaune were both still coming after them, sprinting as fast as they could. Until when she looked back forward, she gasped, her heart almost stopped after she saw Weiss and Blake at the other end of the street. To their left there was another path, one that stretched past a recent collapsed sinkhole that was secured with barricades. “Stop! Please!” Blake begged them, Yang looked at Ruby then they both headed towards the left road.

Weiss suddenly shot towards Ruby and tackled her in the side, they both crashed through the barricades, and plummeted down into the sink hole. Yang gasped, her lilac eyes widened in great fear for her baby sister. “RUBY!” She screamed, reaching her hand out for her, only for Blake to stand there, she saw her worry as well as both Weiss and Ruby fell down into the small sinkhole. It was deep, and both of them were stuck down there.

“Yang…please…we don’t want to hurt you.” Blake begged her partner.

“I don’t wanna hurt any of you! You’re my friends…you’re my _best friend_! But I can’t let this one stand…I can’t. If it was Adam…you’d do the same thing.” Yang told her, Blake stared at her, but she shook her head.

“No…I wouldn’t. He’s not even a thought to me anymore, he’s in prison…rotting. The same will come to Jackdaw for what he did.” Blake promised.

“He _was_ in prison! Many times!” Yang argued, Jaune and Pyrrha ended up around her, she was outnumbered but even now she could still challenge them. But none of them wanted it to go down that way, they were family. “He will break out again and again…he will keep spreading his violence and pain until he is dead. We can stop that!” Yang said.

“This isn’t you, Yang. You’re not a murderer.” Jaune said to her.

“Aren’t I? Deep down I wanted to kill Adam more times than I could count. I wanted to crush Neo’s head for what she did to Ruby.” Yang stated, there was a fire in her, a rage that she could temper…but this was not something she could extinguish. “He killed Summer…she was a mom to both of us. I loved her…I miss her, and she is gone because of _HIM_!” Yang yelled at them all, they all stared at each other, stammering to find words.

They could not argue with her logic…

Yang stared at Pyrrha and she clenched her fist. “If Jaune was at Beacon when Jackdaw attacked, or if Sun was there…you all would have gone after Jackdaw and killed him just like me! I know you would have.” Yang stated, they all looked at each other and they started to stand down.

But every time that they wanted to stand down…that thought came back to them – the thought of what will happen to them if they disobey Killian. If they let them go, the situation will get even worse, for both sides. They could result in using lethal rounds against them, and that was not something they wanted to happen. “Then…come with us. Killian just wants you taken in right now, but he is not talking about Black Cells, not like Neo. He just…wants to talk.” Blake begged her, but Yang scoffed.

“Talk? With Killian? You’d have better luck trying to get a conversation out of a Grimm, the bastard will just put us in the cells to cut off loose ends. I will not let that happen…not while Jackdaw is still out there.” Yang stated, she looked down at where Ruby was, who looked up at her from the sinkhole.

“Run, Yang! Just go!” Ruby begged her, and Yang squeezed her eyes shut. Ruby had managed to get out of worse situations before…

…she could get out of this.

“I’m sorry.” Yang apologised, she suddenly swung and grabbed Blake by her shoulders, and threw her across the road to get her out of the way. She was not about to hit her best friend, but she followed her leader’s orders.

Yang sprinted away, with Blake, Pyrrha and Jaune behind her.

Down at the bottom of the sinkhole, Weiss got back up and looked at Ruby as she tried to find a way out. “Well isn’t this just great?” Ruby scoffed, Weiss sighed and she rolled her huge blue eyes at her best friend.

“Well, if maybe you used just a little bit of common sense…we wouldn’t be in this situation.” Weiss said, Ruby stared at her and shook her head.

“You don’t get it Weiss, none of you do!” Ruby yelled, she jumped up and she stabbed Crescent Rose into the wall of the sinkhole, only for the soft sand to crumble and her to fall back to the ground. It was too soft to get good grip to climb out.

It could collapse and bury them alive as well…they had to be careful.

“Damn it!” Ruby grunted angrily, she punched the ground as she got back up, looking around. “You plan on that, too?” She asked Weiss, in which she just raised her brow with an audible scoff.

“You really blame all this on me? You’re the one that had to go chasing after Jackdaw on this stupid quest for revenge.” Weiss said, Ruby glared at her.

“ _Stupid_? He killed my mom! Killed Glynda, Ironwood, Peony, Yatsu!” Ruby argued right back.

“I know! And I grieve them all, did you not think I cared? Of course I want Jackdaw punished for what he did!” Weiss argued with anger.

“Then why did you all come after us, huh? Why did you have to join Killian in his damn cause to remove us from the world? Because ignore all his lies, that’s what he wants. Deep down, I know it.” Ruby explained as she pointed at Weiss.

“Why come after you? Because you’re our friends! My B.F.F! Remember that?” The fact she finally called her that stung for Ruby…she always wanted Weiss to refer to her as that…but never under these circumstances. “And besides…you could have waited, could have let the Black Gallows bring him in and Killian would have let you decide his fate. Instead of going rogue and proving his damn point in the first place!”

“Screw Killian, all he cares about is power.” Ruby stated with certainty in her voice.

“Look, Ruby I understand why you can’t accept the Vytal Consensus, I do.”

“Do ya?”

“Yeah, I do. The whole thing of controlling the missions we go on? The constant debriefs, being treated like grunts? It’s not what we signed up for, being a Huntress was to protect people _our way_ , not the government’s. Believe me, Ruby. I know, I’m not blind.”

Ruby scoffed. “You sure as hell been acting like it.”

“I’m the blind one? Look in the mirror Ruby, the world is changing. We can’t fight that! What happened at Beacon four years ago? The world made their own conclusions, they were already saying after the first Battle happened that Cinder caused. People are losing faith in the Academies, the Vytal Consensus will let us keep on doing what we wanted to do but with the resources the government gives us.” Weiss explained to Ruby.

“Oh, and you’re okay with that?” Ruby grilled.

“Why the hell wouldn’t I be?” Weiss questioned. “It’s a win-win for everyone involved, the Consensus gives us a stable wage instead of contracts which may or may not pay us in the end. We’re able to live normal lives when not on duty, able to help people still. Do I like it’s by Killian’s hands, no I don’t. But’s what has to be done.” Weiss explained to Ruby.

“And what about the people who died? The people who died because Killian threatened them? What about Ironwood? If it weren’t for Ironwood Beacon would have fallen a long time ago. If it weren’t for him, your sister would never have met Eryka, Beacon would be a crumbling mess and sure as hell never would have seen Yang again. You saw the state she was in, that arm he had made for her brought her back! _He_ did that…or did you forget?” Ruby questioned, it was very rare that Ruby was legitimately angry, but the situation that was afoot…she could not hide it any longer.

“Of course not, I think about it every damn day since it happened.” Weiss said to Ruby.

“Now, Weiss, I’m sorry that it came to this, but going after Jackdaw? It’s what I have to do, I have to be the one make sure he meets justice. Not Killian, me and Yang. Qrow and Raven, Ren and Nora.” Ruby explained to her.

“Revenge…and that’s what you want? Revenge? Then how does that make you any less different than Neo?” Weiss questioned, which was cold to compare her to the woman who nearly murdered her four years ago. “What do you think the world will think if you kill Jackdaw out of revenge? _Huntress breaks the law to kill Jack the Ripper_? What happens then? Huh?” Weiss questioned.

“Killing him now, will ensure that he won’t hurt anyone else!” Ruby erupted, but Weiss calmly disagreed.

“No – going after revenge like this will give the world the idea…that the government is a joke, and the laws mean nothing. People will start killing people…all because the Great Ruby Rose managed to defy the Black Gallows. And then? There will be chaos – maybe a second Great War…all because _you_ wanted revenge.” Weiss explained.

Ruby stared at her, she knew what she was saying, and it was extremely possible. “You’re not a murderer, Ruby…I know you’re not. And I know you’re angry and want Jackdaw to pay…but this? This is not the right way.” Weiss said.

Ruby’s eyes began to water, but not from anger anymore…it was more desperation. As if she really wanted Weiss to be able to change her views on this, nothing so far could do it. The only person that could do this…was Weiss.

Her _B.F.F._

“I-If…If I don’t do this…If I don’t stop Jackdaw, everyone who died by his hands died for nothing. If Killian gets what he wants…a world without real freedom…then that means everyone who died before all this died for nothing. Ironwood, Glynda, Oobleck, Rouge, Yatsu, my mom, Peony…” She choked up as she tried to say her name. “Penny…Penny…died for nothing.” Her voice broke, she nearly broke down into tears as she thought of that horror.

Jackdaw might not have been responsible…but if she can’t stop Jackdaw…where will it end?

What Huntress could she possibly be, if she cannot kill evil?

“What about the rest of us? The ones still here?” Weiss asked her, Ruby froze, and turned to face her friend. “You think that you’re the only one affected by her death? By all their deaths?” Weiss asked her, she walked towards her slowly as she spoke. “Ruby…you’ve always asked us to have faith in you…but the truth? The truth is that you don’t have enough faith in _us_.” Weiss told her.

That…

…that hurt the most.

“You…you know, that’s not true.” Ruby shook her head.

“I’d die for you…and I’d have died for Penny. You know I would have…she was my friend too.” Weiss’ voice grew tender as well. “But you have to listen to me Ruby…you’re chasing a future that isn’t meant to be, Ruby.” Weiss said.

“It’s all changing Ruby…Penny, she wouldn’t have wanted you to get taken away from it…she would have wanted you to change with it. She would have wanted you to be happy…and…you’re not. I’ve never seen you like this…so angry.” Weiss said as she stared at Ruby.

“You have to let this go…please…for your sake…let this go.” Weiss begged her.

Ruby closed her silver eyes, and then looked up at the sky tearfully. “You’re wrong…Penny never believed it was right to control things like Killian does…she just wanted everyone happy…able to do what they wanted. Because she never could…unless she was with me.” Ruby tearfully said. “That…is why I can’t stop, Weiss.”

Weiss closed her eyes and she sighed, and leant against the wall.

“Then…go…if it means that much to you.” Weiss told her, with the pain of betrayal in her voice, she formed a glyph beneath Ruby, which lifted her up into the air. Ruby was thrown from the Sink Hole and she crashed against the ground, then crawled to the edge to see Crescent Rose land next to her. She looked down at Weiss who couldn’t even look at her.

“I…I never wanted any of this…I never wanted to involve you in this.” Ruby tearfully told her.

Weiss stared at her, tears streamed down her face. “Maybe you should’ve…instead of lying…and leaving your friends behind. Because I would’ve followed you anywhere…if you asked me…” Weiss stated. “Even if I disagreed with you.”

Ruby choked up, she closed her eyes and looked away from her. Ruby stood up and she went to leave, until she had one last thing to say. “I’m sorry…”

Weiss did not answer, and Ruby walked away to find Yang.

Leaving Weiss there with her thoughts, until she would escape herself with her glyphs.

 

**Qrow**

Completely unaware of what was happening, the rest of the group were together in the streets of Vacuo. Qrow walked beside his sister and Eryka was right next to him, when she suddenly stopped and her eyes widened. She sensed something was nearby, she lifted her fist and they all stopped. “What’s up?” Qrow asked her, she looked around, then they looked around as well.

From thin air, the black smoke formed and swirled before them, and the Black Gallows Stockholm Troopers emerged from the void, rifles shouldered and aimed right at them.

Qrow clenched his hand into a fist as the Black Gallows surrounded them.

Raven Talons all stood there, armed to the teeth with their weapons, then from the smoke an Ebony Sabre towered above them. Piloting the huge mechanised War Suit that had powerful guns and a huge blade extended from the arm. Eryka glanced and she noticed the glint of a scope atop one of the buildings from one of the Onyx Consul Marksman, ready to take the shot. Qrow stared at the Raven Talon that walked towards him with the rifle aimed at his head, whilst the other Talons started to make sure the civilians got out of the area.

“Qrow Branwen – you are under arrest for defying the orders of Commander Killian. We have warrants for Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, Eryka Vasillias, Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. The rest…are Bandits, already wanted. Surrender now and you will be taken alive – we would rather not risk bloodshed.” The Raven Talon demanded, but Qrow scoffed as he clenched his ringed fingers into a fist.

“Arresting us? Warrants? Last I checked the Vytal Consensus wasn’t finalised yet, you don’t have any control over what we do yet. Calm yourselves down.” Qrow advised.

“Killian’s commands are my commands, come with us…or this gets violent.” The Raven Talon demanded, there was no use trying to convince Stockholm Troopers to let them pass – they were more machine than people anyway. The Ebony Sabre aimed its huge machine gun at them all, ready to fire on command. Qrow looked at Eryka and nodded, she smirked, then just whistled.

Dulcis suddenly dived down from the sky and slashed his talons across the back of the Ebony Sabre’s neck, severing one of the cables that cut the vision. The Ebony Sabre yelled in confusion as he tried to reboot the systems, which was when Qrow made the next move. He punched the Raven Talon in the face, so hard he was knocked down to the ground. He drew Harbinger and glared at the others, whilst Raven drew her Odachi. Oscar’s chained Hammers extended from his gauntlets as he swung them round and launched one forward, colliding into the chest of the other Raven Talon.

Valravn stood motionlessly as he waited to make his move, when he slowly drew his duel Sickles to battle against the Corrupt Military Force against them. The Onyx Consul watched from afar and was about to take the shot, when Dulcis screeched and started to harass him, slashing his claws across his helmet, annoying him so he could not take the shot. The others all drew their weapons, and Nora pulled Stormur Skeggox from her back, pink lightning coursed across the head of her axe and her body. She grinned, and charged towards the Ebony Sabre.

It’s optics returned as it rerouted the power, and caught Nora by the throat with its huge metal hand, and slammed her down into the ground. She grunted and wiggled her way out of its grasp, it was not as huge as a Paladin, but was much faster. It spun round and unleashed a storm of dust bullets towards her, which she avoided with her great speed. Ren sprinted at one of the Raven Talons and he jumped, kicking the soldier repeatedly as he hovered in the air. He landed and slashed Stormflower across the armoured wrists the soldier had. He kicked Ren in the chest so hard it sent him tumbling back, then the red optics in the helmet of the Black Gallows soldier focused on him, and he aimed his Rifle at him. The soldier fired repeatedly at him, but Ren was much quicker than he was at aiming.

He jumped, rolled and slid to avoid the bullets, luckily the civilians had cleared the area so they could fire as many rounds off as they wanted. Ren slid towards one of the abandoned cars and he pulled the door open, using it as a shield. He nodded at Raven, who opened a portal beneath him, and the other side opened above him. Ren dived down towards the soldier and landed on his shoulders. He punched the soldier in the head quite hard, then wrapped his legs around his neck and brought him down to the ground. The soldier growled with anger, as he punched Ren in the side, until Ren picked up a wrench that fell from a mechanic’s table, and swung it into the side of his head.

That definitely knocked him out.

Oscar on the other hand was raised by Bandits, which meant he did not care for keeping people alive, he charged towards the soldiers who stood before him. The soldier’s armoured gauntlets opened up and long electrified whips emerged. Oscar slammed his hammers down into the ground, which created powerful seismic waves that caused the soldiers to stagger. But one of them managed to slash his whip towards Oscar. He rolled out of the way and watched as the whip cleaved one of the cars left behind in half, burning the steel and melting it down.

Oscar launched one of the hammers forward, connected to his gauntlet by a long chain, it smashed into the armoured chest piece of the soldier, shattering it from the impact. The Raven Talon fell back to the ground, whilst the other one started to slash the Whips at him repeatedly, slashing the  ground apart with every single attack. Smoke rose from the charred scars in the tarmac road, he jumped and wrapped his chained hammer around the throat of the soldier and twisted round, stopping the bullet that came his way with the Raven Talon’s body. The soldier was killed instantly, for the bullet went straight through his skull, Oscar snapped his neck for good measure, then he shot the hammers into the ground behind him, which sent him flying towards the Raven Talon.

The chains and hammers arched over his head, and as he dropped towards the Raven Talon Soldier, he slammed both of them down atop the soldier’s head. The impact killed him instantly, then he pulled them from his corpse, blood trailed from the heads, and they connected back into his hands. He wiped the heads cleaned and stared at the others, returning to the fight.

The Soldiers decided to face both Branwens in the field of battle, and one of them called in reinforcements, in which a Wasp could be heard arriving to assist. The Leader of the squad extended a whip from one arm and a blade from the other, both electrified. He charged with the other soldiers towards Qrow and Raven. Both of them transformed into their Corvid Forms, and they soar over their head, before dropping back down behind them as their human bodies. Qrow blocked the incoming blade from a soldier, sparks flew and he kicked the other across the jaw. Raven slid under the whip that slashed towards her face, and she scraped her Odachi across his wrist blade. The Raven Talon soldier growled as he kicked her in the chest, she staggered back and then felt the whip wrap around her throat, and the soldier swung her round and launched her across the Market.

She transformed mid air into her Raven Form, and she soared straight back towards the same soldier, and leapt out towards him. She thrusted the sword forward, puncturing straight through his chest. The soldier was killed instantly as she slid with his body, pulling the red blade from his chest. Qrow ducked down and dodged the whip that came round to hit him, and he rolled out of the stabbing blow of the soldier. But the Black Gallows were not immune to Bad Luck, and his charm was not wearing thin any time soon.

One of the market stalls suddenly fell onto him, which knocked the soldier down to the ground, and gave Qrow the chance he needed to drive the blade of Harbinger down into his chest. Both he and his sister were not alienated to killing, they knew what had to be done and took no joy in doing it. He stared at Valravn and saw he was just stood there, motionlessly, waiting for something. That’s when Eryka gasped and turned her gaze to the Wasp that banked around one of the buildings, more Black Gallows soldiers descended, using their boosters in their boots to soften the landing.

One of which was a Shadow Dagger, with long curved electrified Daggers in his grasp he rushed past the firing Raven Talon Soldiers. Qrow blocked the incoming bullets with Harbinger, until suddenly he was punched from behind by the Ebony Sabre. He tumbled across the ground with a groan, looking back to see Nora blasting towards it. She dug her Axe into the armour plating and she electrocuted it, but the soldier inside was still fighting. He grabbed her and threw her across the terrain, she slammed Stormur Skeggox down into the ground, slowing herself down.

She grinned, enjoying evert second of this battle, when she summoned the lightning of the gods into Stormur Skeggox, powering the dust inside and blasting it towards the charging Sabre. The powerful beam of pink energy collided into the Ebony Sabre which crossed its arms together, pushed back by how much energy was colliding into it. The Ebony Sabre pilot yelled with anger, when suddenly Nora threw Stormur Skeggox straight at the titanic metal soldier, and it punctured into the armoured metal, she opened her gauntlet and the magnets pulled it back to her so fast that the Ebony Sabre staggered towards her.

Nora however, was not a ruthless, merciless killer. She jumped towards the Ebony Sabre and through the torn open metal she grabbed the pilot by the neck and ripped him from the suit, and slammed him down to the ground. He tried to crawl to one of the guns as the Ebony Sabre Exo-Suit collapsed behind him, but Nora kicked him hard in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious. “Who’s next?” She asked aloud.

Eryka rolled across the area, and the Wasp was following her, firing its machine guns down at her constantly. The rounds cracked and shredded the concrete beneath her boots, she aimed her Bow and chose one of the explosive arrows. The arrowhead switched, and she fired, launching it straight into the wing of the Airship. The wing exploded, and the rear triangular flaps fluttered desperately as it tried to stay airborne. It spun out of control, with a trail of fire and smoke behind it before it crashed into the ground with great force.

She twisted round, and aimed her bow and fired three arrows that nailed three soldiers at once. She grinned with pride. “Oh yeah…I’m that badass.” She chuckled.

Nora stood beside her boyfriend as they battled together, Oscar slammed the soldiers, but they were starting to get surrounded by them. Until they turned around to see that Valravn was not doing nothing. The chimes on his split Sickled Staff started to sing, and they could faintly hear the whispering voices of Ravens and Crows around them. The Stockholm Troopers all suddenly stopped running towards them, and they could not move at all.

“Valravn...”

“Valravn.”

“VALRAVN!”

The voices grew louder and louder, endlessly speaking in the back of the Stockholm Trooper’s minds, when suddenly a pulse erupted, and the soldiers collapsed to the ground, knocked unconscious from the powerful use of his mysterious semblance. Silence filled the air, and Nora turned to stare at Valravn.

“What the holy hell just happened?” Nora asked.

“He used his semblance…” Raven told her. “The Voice of the Raven.”

The whispering voices of Valravn…that was his semblance, similar to the Branwens that came after, in the fact it was mainly passively used. But he could clearly direct the voices if he needed to. Yet another mysterious part of this man. Except Nora was not exactly that superstitious. “Hey, Val? Next time? Lead with that.” Nora requested, which made everyone bar Valravn laugh, but he simply patted her head.

“Wow…that might be the closest to laughing I’ve seen him.” Qrow chuckled.

“One day we’ll make him laugh.” Raven sighed.

“One day.” Qrow agreed.

They turned and their eyes widened with relief as they saw both Ruby and Yang returning to them, out of breath from the long run. “Guys!” Ruby called.

“Oh thank the gods, we thought they got to you.” Nora sighed with relief, hugging Ruby affectionately, Ren did the same with Yang. But as Qrow smiled at his Niece, his eyes widened and he drew his sword again.

They all turned to see the other halves of their team arrive…alongside Winter…

…and Killian.

Killian had his Chrome Revolver aimed straight at them as they all arrived at the scene, he was the only one with his weapon drawn, the others did not want to do it. Eryka stared at Winter and both of them felt hurt that they were on opposite sides today. Nora and Ren stared at Jaune and Pyrrha, they felt such shame…

“All of you! Stand down!” Killian demanded, he walked past the burning wreckage of the Wasp that Eryka shot down, the embers trailed past him in the cloud of smoke. Ruby and Yang both glared at Killian, then his eyes stared at Eryka, who glared right back with anger, she was nowhere near as forgiving as her girlfriend was. And Winter was showing no forgiveness either.

“Well look who it is.” Yang scoffed.

Qrow walked in between his nieces and Killian, his red eyes glared straight into Killian’s Onyx ones as he kept that Revolver aimed on them. “Put the damn gun down.” Qrow ordered, his fists were clenched and he did not even reach for his sword.

“You’re all absent without leave! This is your one chance to come home peacefully, all of this can be put behind us.” Killian offered, but none of them were buying his words. Qrow stared at him, then glanced at Raven and just nodded. Raven swung her Odachi behind her, opening a portal to get them out of Vacuo as fast as possible. Oscar and Valravn were the first ones to walk through the portal.

“Hey! I said stand down!” Killian yelled, Eryka and Nora turned to go with them, whilst Qrow stared at him.

“We’ve got a job to do.” Qrow told him, then Killian aimed the gun at him.

“Jackdaw is not your responsibility anymore, Qrow.” Killian growled, since he had his own motivations against Jack the Ripper.

Everyone froze with widened eyes, Raven stared at Qrow after hearing him say that. Qrow’s eye twitched with anger, and his fist clenched tight as he felt the gun press to the back of his head. “Like hell he is.” Qrow snarled, he swung round and caught the revolver, which fired past his head, but he ripped it from Killian’s grasp and swung back round, punching him in the face with it. Killian staggered to the side with a grunt, a large bruise formed there, and he immediately turned round and swung his fist at Qrow.

Qrow took the hit but barely even flinched from it, Killian went to deliver an uppercut against Qrow, but the Branwen caught his fist with ease. Qrow grit his teeth and twisted his arm, and punched him in the jaw with his own fist. Killian tumbled across the ground, everyone on his side watched, uncertain of what to do. Killian got back up as Qrow paced back and forth, and he charged him again, he jumped up and slammed his knee up Qrow’s jaw. Ruby’s Uncle grunted and he staggered back from the Commander of the Black Gallows, who delivered multiple fast and hard punches into Qrow’s chest to wither him down, but as soon as he went to make another strike…Qrow’s Bad Luck Charm affected his skill once more.

He went to punch, but Qrow grabbed his arm and he threw him over his shoulder, down into the ground with force. Qrow punched down into the ground and just missed his head. As Killian rolled aside, and suddenly drew his combat knife, swung round and sliced across Qrow’s cheek. Qrow staggered back, he could feel the hot sticky pain of the open wound. He clenched his fist again…nothing angered him more than a dirty fighter.

He stared straight at Killian, his aura slowly healing the damage done to his face, and Killian kept the knife in his grasp. He rushed him and went to stab right into Qrow, but he caught the wrist that held the hand and punched Killian in the face over and over, pushing him back as he held him. Then they both started forcing one another’s strength against themselves, staring straight into each other’s eyes. That was when Qrow smashed his head into Killian’s, and caught the dropped knife, and drove it right into his foe’s stomach.

Killian grunted, and groaned as he staggered back…collapsing down to the ground with a thud. The knife was lodged in there, blood poured from his wound as he fell.

Jaune’s eyes widened with shock, whilst Qrow just stared at them all, and he cracked his knuckles and walked away from him. Killian coughed up blood as he laid on the ground, Weiss ran to his aid with Winter, whilst Ren and Nora left with Raven. Qrow walked past Ruby, and saw Qrow’s emotionless way he stabbed Killian.

She wanted to kill Jackdaw…but after seeing how he did that…she didn’t know if she could do it…if she could bring herself to kill someone. She nervously followed her sister and Qrow, leaving Eryka behind. The blue haired Vasillias looked back at her girlfriend and sighed, walking through as well.

The portal closed…

…leaving Killian’s team to patch him up.

If Ruby really wanted to kill Jackdaw…she needed that ferocity.

To do it without hesitation…

…she needed to fight like Qrow Branwen.

 

 


	20. Kill or be Killed

**Jaune**

His heart was pounding.

He may have not been their friend, maybe not even their ally at times…but he was a person. A living, breathing person, and as a Huntsman or a Huntress, it was their duty to save his life. Killian laid unconscious on the gurney with his stab wound bled over his shirt. There was so much blood, so much of it… it legitimately frightened Jaune to see how much blood was out of Killian’s system all because of a single wound.

You’d think he’d be used to seeing blood, or knowing the damage a single blade could do after everything – but seeing it first hand? It never ceased to scare him.

“Nurse! We need a nurse!” Pyrrha called out as she helped Jaune and Blake push the Gurney, whilst Winter and Weiss followed behind them. They jogged alongside the gurney, when they saw one of the Nurses drop her clipboard down on the table and she ran over to them. She caught up beside them and looked at the man who desperately needed their help to survive the stab wound that Qrow inflicted upon him.

“What’s his injury?” The Nurse asked.

“Stab wound.” Jaune answered, she stared at the wound and saw how much blood was already from his system.

“He’s lost a lot of blood already, we will do what we can for him. But I have to ask you to wait outside the operating room.” The Nurse commanded, she took the handles from Jaune and pushed the gurney into the Operating Theatre where they could do their work. The five of the Hunters stood outside of the room, their hands were shaking fearfully, but not even for Killian’s safety.

Of course they did not want him to die, for – for all his flaws and broken logic – he was still a human being. Jaune pushed his hands against his face and he sighed, shoving his digits through his blonde hair. “Oh by the Gods…this is not good.” Jaune groaned, shaking his head with a heavy sigh.

“Yeah, as if the world didn’t already have a grudge against the Academies, this will definitely not help our case. Stabbing Killian like that? What the hell was he thinking? He’s just gone and proven Killian’s whole case.” Weiss groaned in annoyance, frustrated at the entire situation. She sat down on one of the chairs and she buried her face into her hands. “And it’s my fault.”

“What? C’mon, Weiss knock it off. It was Qrow, not you.” Jaune told her.

“No, Jaune. It is… I had Ruby and I could have taken her in. But instead I let her go, and she got to Qrow. He was protecting her.” Weiss explained to them all, Blake shook her head in disagreement though.

“No, it’s not you’re fault. He would have attacked Killian no matter what, he hated the man with a passion. Just like most of us.” Blake explained, she paced back and forth and she sighed, she felt the sweat bead from her skin, rubbing her eyes as she stood there. Pyrrha stood beside Jaune, she held Milo down against the marble floor, waiting to figure out what they could do next.

The only one of them that did not look shaken in any way from what Qrow did was Winter, she stood by the wall, where there was the display of drawings from children who came here. Injured from countless things, sometimes they were little playground injuries, some were sick, and then there were the scary ones. The ones that were facing death, not things that just needed to be patched up.

Winter never liked hospitals, not because she didn’t like being in them – but because she hated seeing people who were innocent in pain. A natural response of someone who was trained to protect people, no matter the cost. Weiss looked at her sister, noticing how she had little to no reaction to all this whatsoever. “Winter?” She asked her.

“Yeah?” Winter replied.

“Are you, alright? I mean you haven’t said a word, did Qrow stabbing Killian get to you? Like us?” She asked her.

“It got to you?” She asked them, the four Huntresses and Huntsman looked at Winter with confusion.

“Y-Yeah…I didn’t think that Qrow was like that. He stabbed Killian with no hesitation at all…” Jaune stammered.

“Of course he did.” Winter replied, Jaune stared at her with confusion.

“What?”

“Have you never had to kill someone?” Winter asked them all, Pyrrha did not answer but they all knew that she was the only one out of all of them that never killed anyone. Ruby blamed herself for the death of Roman, a death that was not hers to take responsibility in the first place. Roman killed himself, at the end of the day, he was responsible for his own demise the moment he starting spouting off about how he always survived.

Until he didn’t.

But none of them, ever killed a soul. Never ever wanted to, Blake had seen people die by Adam’s hand, but she never did deliver the killing blow.

Never wanted to.

Not even to kill Adam.

Their lack of an answer was all that Winter needed, she shook her head as she looked at them all. They may have grown up after four years, and yet they all were still so childish in the way of which they are viewing this whole thing. The career of being a Huntress or a Huntsman.

“Did you really think you could do this job without getting blood on your hands?” Winter asked them all, they all stared at her and they stammered.

“I…I don’t know. I wanted to kill Cinder for what she did to Pyrrha, for what she could have done to her.” Jaune explained, he stared at his gauntleted hands, and yet he could never imagine himself actually murdering her, even if she did not outgun him with her Fall Maiden powers.

None of them were murderers, but sadly Winter knew that unless their goal was to die – then no matter what – they have to spill blood eventually. “You can’t avoid it forever, guys. We all will end up killing people.”

“But we’re Huntresses, it’s our job to protect people.” Blake argued, Pyrrha sat down on one of the chairs and she wrung her fingers.

“Protect the innocents from evil. Not the Grimm – from evil. Evil can come in any form, it could be a fire or a storm. It could be a Creature of Grimm. Or it could be a person, a man or woman who spreads chaos. Someone who attacks the people that represent all that is good in the world. People like Jackdaw Branwen, like Neopolitan. Like Cinder Fall… like Killian.” Winter explained as she stared at them all, they all looked at each other as she said that, and Jaune scoffed.

“If you want Killian to fall so badly… then why are you here?” Jaune questioned, Winter stared right back and she looked at her hands.

“Because it’s what Ironwood would have wanted me to do. He would have wanted me to put the people first. And whether we like it or not, Killian’s idea… it could save millions of lives.” Winter explained, Blake walked over to the window of the Operating Theatre, seeing that the nurses had ripped his shirt open to patch up the stab wound. There was a lot of blood, but the situation was under control.

They were saving him.

“I’m not blind to all this, not to killing people. When I was with the Atlesian Military, I had killed countless people to protect Atlas and its self interests. From things I never wanted to know about… because it was my duty as a Huntress. Just as it is Killian’s duty to hide the darkest secrets from the world to prevent chaos.” Winter explained, she may hate Killian for the things he did but she knew why he did them. Just as it was her job to follow orders, to protect people, he protected people from the scariest things that people did not even know about.

“But… that doesn’t seem right. To just follow your orders, even when you know it’s wrong.” Jaune stammered.

“We don’t get that choice, our job is simply to protect people. Sometimes… protecting people means doing things that deep down we think is wrong.” Winter explained as she drew her sword and set it down on her lap. That was why she did not go with Eryka, despite her personal reasons to hate Killian, when he imprisoned them and everything to do with Jaymes Ickford four years ago… it was her job to protect people.

Going against Killian, proving his point that the Huntsmen Academies are dangerous and need to be controlled – or worse – destroyed – would not protect people. It would simply hurt more people, civilians or Huntsmen.

Despite how much she loves Eryka, she is a soldier. Eryka was not, she was always a survivor long before she met Winter. Part of Winter understood that, but at the same time it still hurt that she disappeared one night without even telling her.

Something they all had in common.

“I just can’t imagine Qrow being so cold like that. I mean, he just stabbed him, and walked off like he just bought some sweets from a store. It was nothing to him, he didn’t hesitate or flinch. He just walked away.” Jaune said as he remembered Qrow’s face, how he showed no emotion whatsoever.

It sent chills down his spine.

“I know, I mean I know Qrow’s had a rough life. He and his sister were raised with Bandits, that is bound to break you inside, to turn you into something cold. But I never saw him like that before, he was always so fun whenever we saw him.” Weiss agreed, which meant Winter scoff.

“That’s not the word _I_ would use.” Winter chuckled, remembering the fight they had at the Beacon Courtyard.

“Alright, but you know what I mean. He’s never been cold like that, at least I’ve never seen him like that.” Blake agreed, Winter nodded her head and she sighed.

“Being part of a Bandit Tribe does that to you, makes you cold. It’s the same thing for Spartans.” Pyrrha explained, Winter was going to say something similar but it was the first thing that Pyrrha added to this debate, which surprised them. “When I killed… Penny… I remember just blocking everything out. I saw all of those blades coming towards me… and I just thought to myself… _I have to stop the blades, I need to stop her._ It didn’t click that it was Penny until I saw the cables… wrapping around her body.” Pyrrha’s voice broke, the one person she ever took the life from was an innocent and kind person.

Someone who did not deserve to die, and even now it still ate away at her.

Jaune held her hand gently to ease her nerves. “It’s alright, you don’t have to explain.” Jaune assured with a kind smile, she nodded her head and wiped a tear from her eye. But even then, this was not like what Qrow did, she felt grief and heartbreak for what happened, but Qrow did not care one bit.

Jaune thought on how Qrow did it, and could not get the idea out of his head, or the question. _Would Qrow hesitate to kill any one of us?_

That was an answer he never wanted to find out, but at this point it was a chilling possibility.

As the five of them sat outside of the Operating Theatre, they heard the sound of someone approaching with great concern. She had a limp in her step as she tried to run to where Killian was held, they did not know who she was but it was Veronica. She approached the Operating Theatre and stared through the window, pressing her hand against the window. She gasped as she stared at him fearfully. “Oh Nathan… please…” She begged nervously as she stared at the nurses that all worked on him.

The five of them looked at her and started to figure out who she was to him. “Excuse me… are you a girlfriend to him, or something?” Jaune asked as he walked over to her, but Veronica snapped her head to him with a coarse glare. It made Jaune jolt from how sudden it was, her eyes narrowed and she stepped away from the glass.

“I know who you are… who all of you are.” She said, staring at the five of them. “Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Weiss Schnee, Winter Schnee and Blake Belladonna.”

The five of them all stared at Veronica as she stood there, it surprised them to find out that she knew about them all. “H-How do you know that?” Blake inquired.

“I knew who all of you were before I met Killian, I worked for the Remnant Special Task Force in Recon and Intel Gathering. I know plenty of people who gave me information, it was my main source of income after… this.” She said, gesturing to her Prosthetic Leg.

“You’re an Information Broker? Like Lil Miss Malachite?” Winter asked her.

“No, I don’t break the law and use Prostitution. I simply sell my intel to people willing to pay for it, and I give most of my earnings to the Veterans who need it.” Veronica explained to them all, Jaune looked at her prosthetic leg, that was slightly shorter which gave her a limp with every step that she took. He felt bad for her, Yang at least had a well made Cybernetic, but the harsh truth was that the Veterans who fought in the military rarely ever got the things they needed to survive the war that came after the fight.

Proper prosthetics, help with P.T.S.D, stable jobs.

They were just tossed aside, and sadly this happened in every single Kingdom. “Someone has to.” She growled.

“I’m very sorry.” Jaune apologised, but that was not enough. She scoffed, shaking her head.

“There it is… _I’m sorry_. Yeah I doubt all the Veterans who were thrown in the streets appreciate your grief for them.”

“Excuse me?” Winter questioned.

“You heard me. I do not have the greatest love for you people, Huntsmen and Huntresses. You have brought people like me nothing but suffering or embarrassment. You’ve humiliated us with how the government favours you over us, with all your fancy weapons and technology.” Veronica scoffed, shaking her head with anger in her voice. “All your cybernetics and security, I cannot count how many friends I have lost because of how they could not handle the real world after returning from debrief. Do you know how many Veterans die from suicide ever single year?”

“I… I don’t know.” Jaune stammered.

“Two hundred and fifty three. Because until recently nobody bothered creating a home for Veterans, where they could be helped. The numbers are starting drop, thankfully, but there are not enough other homes for us to help everyone.” Veronica explained to them.

Veronica sighed, she sat down on one of the chairs and she pressed her palms against her face. Jaune looked at her and then at Pyrrha. The Nikos Spartan walked over to Veronica and she sat down next to her, she understood her pain and her anger. End of the day, the soldiers who were not as powerful as them had more than enough reason to hate them. Not just through jealousy, but the fact that the Government treated them so harshly in comparison.

“I know it means nothing, and it doesn’t ease the suffering of all those brave soldiers. But we are sorry, and we want to make sure that everyone gets to be happy. To make sure that all warriors, Huntsmen or Soldiers it doesn’t matter, get to live their best lives.” Pyrrha promised, Veronica looked at her and then at the Operating Room.

“What happened to him?” She asked them.

They froze, felt their blood run cold. Telling her about what happened would simply strengthen her reasons completely. She stared at them and they stammered, so Blake attempted to lie. “We were attacked by some criminals in Vacuo, he was stabbed.” Blake claimed, but Veronica stared straight at her, and saw through the lie.

“I worked in Intel and Recon, Miss Belladonna, don’t you dare lie to me.” Veronica warned with a growl in her voice. Winter stood up and walked towards the Recon Specialist.

“Qrow Branwen stabbed him after he tried to attack and take his nieces away from him.” Winter told it how it happened, she glared at her narrowed her eyes. Veronica grit her teeth in anger, and sadly she knew that Qrow and his nieces had gone rogue.

“A Huntsman… did this to him.” She growled, she stood up and stared at where Killian was being patched up by the Surgeons.

“We don’t agree with what he did either, believe me.” Jaune assured.

She pointed at them, and it was like a Volcanic Eruption, she could not hold back any longer. “This! This is what we’ve always been talking about! Every damn Academy has the same thing happen every year, Rogue Huntsmen and Huntresses break out and start killing people! Jack the Ripper! Raven Branwen! The Grimm Reaper abandoning her post! Countless more!” Veronica started yelling with great anger. “You need correction! Better leadership, better security and disciplined better. It’s what makes our soldiers so loyal, because we understand the rules. We get the job done… unlike all of you.”

“You don’t know us, you don’t know what we’ve done.” Blake stated.

“Oh but I do. I know you were with the White Fang, Miss Belladonna. I know all about your… _affiliation_ … with Adam Taurus.” That cut too deep for them, Blake clenched her hand into a fist, she was always quite peaceful but there was something about whenever someone would refer to her as anything with Adam Taurus… it angered her.

“You better watch your mouth. I get it, you don’t like us because we’re trained by the Academies. But if you ever bring that name up in front of Blake ever again… you will regret it.” Weiss snarled, both Pyrrha and Jaune stood ready to defend their friend at all costs. Veronica scowled with anger at them all, her fist clenched tight.

“You’re all just children. Children playing war games, not taking it seriously. Not understanding that the mission always comes first. You see this?” She yelled, she lifted her prosthetic leg in front of them. “This was because of Huntsmen and Huntresses. They were supposed to help us in the battlefield but instead that just helped themselves. Protected each other, whilst they left the rest of us to die.”

They fell silent, and Blake closed her eyes with grief. “We… We would never do that.”

Veronica started to calm down, with careful breaths, she had more respect for these people than the Rogues or the cowardly. If anything, she wanted more Huntsmen and Huntresses to be like them, who put their personal feelings aside for the greater good. Unlike Ruby’s end of the spectrum.

“Maybe not… but think about this. If the Huntsmen Academies had proper discipline in their training, like Atlas does… would those students have left us? Or would they have fought alongside us? I do not blame the Huntsmen or the Huntresses directly for how the Government treats our soldiers, I know who the real enemy is there. But Killian is right, in believing that changes need to be made to the Academies. For the betterment of both sides.” Veronica explained.

And for once, they could actually agree on something.

“Well, at least we’re on the same page with this.” Jaune chuckled.

“I do not want anyone to die on either side, that solves nothing. It just gets more people hurt.” Veronica explained as she sat down at the chair again and she crossed her arms, looking at the Huntsmen and Huntresses before her. “I just want to make sure that both sides of the Service get the respect that they deserve. The Government funds the Academies ten times more than what they fund the Military. I just hope that people don’t end up being as unlikely as myself.” She said, looking at her prosthetic.

“We’re going to keep tracking our friends down… and once we have them back somewhere safe… we’ll stop the Ripper.” Jaune assured, he decided to call Jackdaw _The Ripper_ since he did not know if Veronica knew, that and it was not his place to decide.

The five of them opted to leave Veronica be, it made them feel better to know that the argument they had with her did not get any worse than it started. They walked away from the Operating Theatre, and Pyrrha looked at Jaune. “What next? They went through a portal, it will be hard to track them down.”

“Yeah it will… but luckily, we know who they spoke to. I doubt Lil Miss Malachite has much loyalty to her customer’s privacy.” Jaune explained as they walked down the hallway.

Weiss nodded in agreement.

“If she needs a price, I will pay for it. You know I will.” Weiss assured.

“You’re not a wallet to us, Weiss.” Blake sighed.

“I know, but I got the money.” Weiss shrugged her shoulders with a smile, Winter and Pyrrha nodded as well. They three of them were undoubtedly the wealthiest ones there, and even Blake was close to them on that.

Jaune – once again – was the odd one out.

They left Killian to be patched up, this was their mission now, the Black Gallows were still with them, but now it was their mission.

And their responsibility.

 

**Ruby**

The red portal tore the hole between the two continents, and they emerged from the dark red glow.

Raven stood there on the other side, looking back to see the others coming through. Qrow walked out and had blood on his hand and his knuckles from when he beat Killian to a pulp. They all stared at him, and he looked no different than before, completely undeterred whatsoever by what he did to Killian. Ruby and her team looked more shocked than all the others did.

Eryka nodded at Qrow as he walked over to them, Qrow walked towards Raven and Valravn who stood there, their weapons in their grasp. Valravn walked away from all of them, and he opened up one of the tents, sitting down inside as he started to do… whatever it was that he did.

Ruby watched Qrow walk away, and she held her quivering hands together, she felt such fear and shock over all of this… she felt so certain of her mission to kill Jackdaw. That it was the only way to stop him, but after seeing how Qrow did what he did, she was starting to wonder if that was the truth, if she was blinded by anger… if she could really take a life. Yang gently squeezed her shoulder, looking down at her little sister. “You alright?” Yang asked her with concern.

“Uh… I dunno.” She stammered, looking across the Camp as all the Bandits walked and worked. Some of them were tanning the hides of Deer that they hunted down. They used everything on the carcass, bone was used in their armour or building. The pelts were either sold to the towns nearby or used for making clothing or armour with leather. The meat and guts were used as either food or alchemy to make medicinal drugs.

It was genius, and therefore nothing was killed for no reason, nothing was ever wasted.

Raven walked over and spoke to Vernal, they could not hear what it was that they spoke of, but it must have been about what Lil Miss Malachite informed them about. “I take it you’re thinking about Qrow, right?” Nora asked curiously, resting Stormur Skeggox on her shoulder as her orange hair blew in the breeze.

“Yeah…” Ruby agreed, the four of them walked over to a nice little quiet spot that they could sit down and talk this whole thing over. “It all happened so fast.”

“I know, I didn’t expect to see them there… I don’t know how they could have been.” Ruby said with confusion in her voice, she tried to ask them how they got here but they never answered them. Ren pondered on it, and he thought of the Black Feathers that allowed them to leave Beacon without detonating the bombs.

“Maybe Jackdaw sent one of his men into the Academy? Planted those Feathers on their beds as well… maybe this is part of his plan? To tear us apart, like he did to Team S.T.R.Q?” Ren suggested, they all looked at each other and it gave them chills when they realised how similar the situations are.

“Yeah… it’s starting to make sense. If this is a game played by Jackdaw then it’s a sick one.” Ruby sighed.

“Well… let’s just hope we can stay ahead of them for now. We can go back to them when this is finished, they will be mad at us… but they will forgive us. We’re family.” Nora stated as she shrugged her shoulders. Ruby looked at her hands and squeezed her large silver eyes shut.

“Weiss let me go… but she was so angry at me. She’s always been mad at me, but never… legit mad.” Ruby stammered, it broke her heart to see her best friend that angry at her. Especially when Weiss actually referred to her as her _B.F.F._

“I know, but they’re gonna have to get over it. I know they just want us safe, but this isn’t their fight.” Yang said, pushing her hand through her huge fluffy blonde locks of hair.

“It could have been… Weiss said she would have followed us whether or not they agreed with it.” Ruby sadly said, and that was what hurt the most for both sides. Ruby didn’t realise that she meant that much to her team, and Weiss was hurt at the fact that Ruby did not trust her and Blake enough to tell them about this. Nora and Ren fiddled with the grass underneath their legs, pondering whether or not they should have let Jaune and Pyrrha know.

“It doesn’t matter now. After Qrow stabbed Killian, there’s no returning peacefully. Killian will arrest us on sight now, hell he might even try to kill us. Y’know, to cut off loose ends.” Nora said as she carved some marks into the dirt with the head of Stormur Skeggox.

“Yeah, thanks Uncle Qrow.” Yang scoffed.

Ruby stared at her hands, they had some calluses from using Crescent Rose so much in the past against the Creatures of Grimm, but she never had hands that were meant to kill. They were so small and delicate looking, unlike the scarred knuckles her sister and Eryka had. And Nora’s hands had the faint markings of what appeared to be lightning, scarring caused from her semblance. Ruby’s hands were the only ones that looked so gentle in comparison – she could not kill another human being. She was gentle, loving and wanted nothing but the best for the world.

She hated Jackdaw more than she could ever describe, she wanted him to pay for what he did. To Summer, to Glynda, to Ironwood, to Yatsuhashi, to everyone that he murdered that day. And everyone he killed before, he did not deserve to keep walking after taking so many lives. But even then, she did not have that cold black heart, not like the Branwens.

“I don’t… I don’t know if I can do it.” She softly said to all of them. They all looked at her with concern.

“What do you mean?” Ren asked.

“Killing Jackdaw… after I watched how Qrow stabbed Killian. He didn’t hesitate, he didn’t flinch, he didn’t even seem affected by it in any way. Like he squashed a bug. I hate Killian just as much as you do, but killing him? I don’t think he deserves that… he’s a bad person sure. But I think… I think I’m wrong to wish death upon anyone.”

Yang looked at her little sister and caressed her cheek. She did not want to kill anyone either, neither of them did – however Yang was one of the few that was ready to do it if it came down to it. “Before Adam I would agree with you… but what he did to Blake… to me…” She said, opening her cybernetic hand and clenching it into a tight fist. “I dunno, I guess part of me died that day. He’s the only person in the whole world I would kill in a heartbeat if I saw him.” She admitted.

Ruby stared at her, but she never judged her for that. End of the day she had more than enough reason to despise that monster, he didn’t just only take her arm, but he also put her through torment that still affects her even now. Even when he is trapped inside of a prison thanks to the White Fang.

“I don’t know if I can do that… I felt bad when I squished a spider once. If I cried for a bug then how can I possibly kill a man?” She questioned with worry in her voice.

“You… just change.” Eryka entered the conversation abruptly. The four of them turned to see her stood behind them with Dulcis stood on her arm, chirping softly.

“What do you mean?” Ruby inquired.

“When the cards are down, and you’re in the middle of a firefight? You don’t have many choices, it’s either kill or be killed. I know you don’t want to kill people, Ruby – but I’m afraid it comes with the job. I may not be a Huntress like you, but I learned to just grow accustomed to it.” Eryka explained as she stroked Dulcis’ fine feathers. Ruby stared down at her reflection in the blade of Stormur Skeggox.

“I dunno…” She sighed, Eryka smiled and gently ruffled Ruby’s head.

“You’ll be fine.” Eryka assured as she went off to feed and tend to her beloved Altum Eagle.

As Ruby sat there, picking a flower from the soil she stared at one of the petals as it fell. She even felt bad for the flower – she felt nothing for the Grimm. They were not living things, they were monsters that had one desire – annihilation. She lost no sleep killing them, but it was people that terrified her. Seeing the bodies of the people they couldn’t save… taking a life though? That would stick with her forever, she never wanted to lose sight of who she was.

She was Ruby Rose – Daughter of Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long – Protector of those that are good, and destroyer of evil… and lover of cookies.

But for some reason she never thought about the possibility of what kinds of Evil existed in the world. And whether or not some evils… are Human… or Faunus. “I’m not a killer, I can’t be.” She said.

“We might have to some day, Ruby.” Yang warned, they both looked across the courtyard after they noticed both Nora and Ren glaring at her. Cinder was fighting and training against the Grunts, she swung her axe and just missed the head of a ducking Bandit, who tackled her down to the ground.

“I can’t… it’s not me. I wasn’t even responsible for Torchwick’s death… and that still haunts me. And Neo nearly murdered me for it. I’ve seen what murder turns people into, you either become like my Uncle… or like that.” She said, staring at Cinder as they watched her swing the axe down towards the Bandit’s skull. Only to freeze just in time, the blade would have split his skull if she didn’t.

She pulled him back up and she collapsed her Axe down into dust, walking away from the training grounds to play some chess with the adorable little Amber.

Ruby looked around, and saw that Qrow was sat down inside of one tent, scraping a whetstone across the edge of his sword – Harbinger. Sparks bounced from the connection of the Whetstone and the blade. Ruby gently patted Yang’s knee and she stood up, walking away from them, until Yang caught her hand. “Whoa, where’re you going?” She asked her.

“Gonna talk to Qrow.” Ruby told them. They were not blind, they knew what she wanted to talk to her Uncle about.

Ruby walked away from them and approached the tent that Qrow was inside of. As she walked, she heard the sound of Valravn’s Semblance, the voice of the Crows, all whispering from his tent, the chiming pieces of metal that hung from the Dream Catchers could be heard, and she smelt the scent of some kind of herb. She understood next to nothing about Valravn, especially not for his hatred for the Silver Eyes. All she knew was that the Branwen Tribe had a feud with the Silver Eyed Warriors at one point, which must have been why his trust was so weak with Ruby.

The Silver Eyed Huntress avoided his Tent, and walked directly towards Qrow’s, she opened it and looked inside. He was sat down, then looked at her. He smiled whenever he saw her, he always had more than enough time for his adorable little niece. “Hey, kiddo. What’s up?” He asked her, she sat down on one of the red pillows that the Branwen Tribe had, it was surprisingly squishy and comfy.

“Ooh… that’s quite nice.” She giggled, which made Qrow chuckle.

“I know, right? Seems Raven added a bit of style to the Tribe since I left.”

They both sat on their pillows, then Ruby started the conversation, as she stared at the necklace around his neck.

“Uncle Qrow?”

“Mm?”

“What… what does that Necklace mean?” She asked curiously, he looked down at it and he smiled.

“It was a gift… from your mother. It was the first birthday I had when I knew her, Taiyang git me some awesome boots to wear, my sister gave me this whetstone…but your mom? She bought me this necklace.” He explained, he detached the ends of it and he placed it in her hand. Ruby gently held the silver upon her palms, gently caressing the sideways cross. “She wanted to make sure I always had something to remember her by… she never needed to get me a necklace for that though.” He said with a sigh.

It surprised Ruby that her Uncle was actually in love with her mother, but she actually felt for him, because he did not just lose a friend… he understood Taiyang’s pain. “You really loved her… didn’t you?”

“I never stood in the way of them though. Tai knew how I felt about her, I always had a crush… but she didn’t reciprocate them. He nearly didn’t say yes when she asked him out for the first time, because he thought of me… but I could never be good enough for her. But I always looked over… I just wanted them to be happy.” Qrow told her with a gentle smile. Ruby smiled and she gently wrapped the necklace around his neck with a smile. She then hugged him lovingly, despite their differences when it came down to killing… she loved her Uncle so much.

“She’s always with you… just like with me and Yang, and Dad… and even Raven.” Ruby told him with a bright smile on her face. Qrow smiled back and he hugged her again, kissing her cheek gently, caressing her soft black and red hair.

“That’s my girl.” He chuckled.

They broke their embrace and Ruby sat back down on the pillow.

They both sat there and Ruby looked at him, he could tell just from her expression that it must have something to do with what he did to Killian. He always knew that she had a very strong opinion when it came to fighting people, it was never something she agreed with, never something she signed up to when it came down to being a Huntress. “I guess you didn’t come here to hang out with your cool Uncle, huh?” He asked her.

“Uh – N-No… I-I…”

“It’s alright, Ruby. I know why you’re here… it’s because of what I did back at Vacuo, right? Against Killian?” He asked her, she swallowed and she nodded her head. “I know you don’t like the idea of hurting people, let alone killing them… but it’s our job.”

“Our job is to protect people from monsters.” Ruby disagreed.

Qrow sighed and shook his head. “From evil, sadly evil comes in two forms. The Living… and the Grimm. Sure we face the Grimm more often than people, but… I can’t remember how many people I’ve killed over the years. The Bandit raised me to never keep count.”

“But how? How can you… How?” She stammered.

“You were lucky, Ruby. Your mother was the kindest woman I had ever met, but just like you she could never kill people. I think that was partly why she died by my brother’s hands… she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Sometimes… we have to do the things we swore off doing to get the job done.” He explained.

“No, that can’t be right.” She argued.

“What if someone is trying to kill you? Say Neo is here, right now? She’s coming at you with a knife to finish the job? Are you just gonna stand there and let her kill you?” He asked her.

“N-No, but…”

“You have to protect yourself, because your enemies will not hesitate. You never hesitate for the Grimm, don’t change it up just because someone is Human or Faunus. It doesn’t matter, because evil is evil. There is no difference, and both will hurt the good people in the world.” Qrow explained.

Ruby could never agree to this way of thinking, never. “Were you going to kill him? Killian?” She asked.

Qrow looked at her and he looked at the faint stains of his blood on his hand. “I probably should’ve done.” Qrow told her.

That was not the answer she wanted to hear, she had hoped it was because she was there and did not want to scare her. “The only reason I didn’t kill him was because we had to go.” Qrow stated with the shrug of his shoulders.

“Was it?” She asked.

“Yeah… Killian is dangerous. And he is hiding something… I know it in my bones.” Qrow stated as he stared down at his fists.

“What? Hiding what?” She asked him.

“I don’t know… but it’s nothing good.” Qrow predicted.

 

**Amber**

Night fell upon the camp…

Cinder gently and kindly started to tuck Amber away into bed so then she would be able to get some sleep for the night. Amber giggled as Cinder tucked all the edges of her bed sheet around her tiny body, like she was a butterfly waiting to hatch from its cocoon. “There ya go, tucked in enough?” She asked with a chuckle, Amber giggled.

“Yeah!” She grinned, Cinder chuckled as well. Amber was already starting to show the good inside of Cinder more than the bad. Cinder looked at her and patted her head of hair gently. But she was still not a mother, especially with how she told kids to go to sleep.

“Alright, make sure you get some sleep or a Grimm will eat ya.” Cinder said, Amber shuddered at the mere thought of that. She laid there in her bed and she closed her eyes.

A few hours seemed to pass instantly as she slept. She gasped when she woke from a nightmare, she saw them… the killers who massacred her town. The Vasillias Cartel, they charged inside and killed them all. Their reason was uncertain, she was only a child but it was most likely for a debt that the leader of the town failed to pay in time. She saw them… as they dragged her parents from the room and shot them both dead. She hid inside of the closet where her parents told her to stay.

It felt… so real…

It terrified the little girl.

But when she woke, she gasped from what she saw stood over her bed. It was no Grimm – it was a man. Not Jackdaw Branwen, but someone else.

He has these huge metal wings that extended from his hack, razor sharp feathers extended from them alongside these huge thrusters. His eyes are angled and sharp, flaming amber eyes like Cinder’s but more like a Hawk’s. His fists were clenched as he stared at her, gasp vented through his mechanical jaw, like breath.

She tried to scream, but his hand grabbed her mouth, muffling her cries. He stared at her, like a monster as the wings hovered over her head. “So you’re the girl she asked me to track down… no loose ends… an old friend of yours would like to see you.” His dark metallic voice snarled. She screamed as loud and as hard as she could, but then she felt her mind slip away into unconsciousness. She picked up her little body and looked back at the tent, leaving something behind before he left the tent, and blasted off into the sky, flying away towards the mountains.

Left inside of Amber’s Tent…

Was an egg…

A Spider’s Egg.

 

 


	21. The Spider's Web

**Ruby**

The night was cold, a deep fog had set in across the land where Ruby was trying to fall asleep. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t do it.

Her large silver eyes stared up at the roof of her tent where she could see the glowing Shattered Moon through the tears in the fabric. The flows of fog passed through the Tribe, some of them were still up as well, but not for the same reasons. Ruby could hear Cinder talking to Shay and the other Bandits about things she could not decipher from inside of the small home they had given her.

The bed – well, sleeping bag, she was using itched something awful. It was nothing like her squishy and comfortable bed back home at Beacon Academy, and yet with all these things coupled together, it was not the discomfort that affected her sleep. As she stared up at a spider’s web up in the supporting endo-skeleton of the tent, feasting on the fly that it had caught.

_Are we just like that fly?_

_Following Jackdaw’s trail the way we are, maybe they’re right… I thought that following Jackdaw’s trail was smart, but now? Qrow and Raven are not lying when they talk about how clever Jackdaw is, so the idea of him setting a trap for us along the way is not so crazy._

_We didn’t come this far just to die by his hand, like that fly up there._

Ruby sighed, she rolled over onto her side and tried to close her eyes, but every time she did, she would hear his voice. She could never decipher his words, they were slurred and whispery voices, but it was always his. Jackdaw Branwen, Jack the Ripper – the monster that murdered his mother, Glynda, Yatsuhashi and Ironwood. And many other good people, she could not get him out of her head,

She huffed with anger at herself, sitting forward and burying her head into her hands. Nora was laid down beside Ren, and Yang was next to Ruby, asleep like Ren was. But Nora on the other hand could not sleep, just like Ruby. “Can’t sleep, either?” Nora asked.

Ruby sighed, they both spoke softly so they did not wake up Yang and Ren. “No… I can’t stop thinking about Jackdaw.”

“I know, I can’t either.” She sighed, that surprised her. Ruby knew why Nora and Ren decided to follow her and her sister to stop Jackdaw from hurting anyone else – and yet she did not know the exact reason behind Nora’s reasons. Ren lost his parents and understood his pain, and so did Nora… but Nora never struck her as someone who would seek revenge.

“Why? Is that okay to ask? I never really knew why you wanted to help us.” Ruby said to her.

Nora looked at Ruby and she smiled softly, looking at Ren, gently caressing his soft black hair. “Well, you know about what happened to Kuroyuri and Ren’s parents. But I lost my home and my family long before I found him… his childhood… until the Nuckelavee was better than what I went through.”

Ruby listened to the Valkyrie’s words carefully. “But when I was a baby… it wasn’t so simple. My mother was a Faunus, a Valkyrie, but when I was born I never had the Faunus traits. A rare thing to happen really, especially since the Faunus genes are supposedly the dominant ones in a coupling like that.”

“What do you mean, a Valkyrie?” Ruby curiously asked, Nora smiled gleefully.

“My mom was an Eagle Faunus. She had these huge golden feathered wings that came out her back. However she never wanted to be a warrior, she just wanted to help people.” Nora explained to her, but then the smile began to waver. She sighed through her nose grievously. “But the Mayor of our town – Kuchinashi – hated the Faunus, like quite a lot of Mistraalians. My mother was the only Faunus there, so he demanded that she leave. But she refused, and so did my father, since she was pregnant with me. He could never banish a woman who was pregnant, not even a Faunus. So… he plotted a scheme.”

“A Scheme?”

“He waited until I was born, and one day when my mom was going to the shops to buy some food and some toys for me… he paid some townsfolk to attack her. They beat me, and ignored my cries – as they took out carving knives and cut her wings from her spine. It paralysed her… and she bled to death… right in front of me.” Tears streamed from Nora’s eyes as she told her that. “I was too little to remember that… but it was my father that reminded me… every day.” She sniffled, massaging her forearm.

“H-he hurt you?” Ruby stammered.

“Yeah… because every single day that he saw me, he would see his wife that died… and he couldn’t defend her. At least that was how it started, he didn’t hurt me for a long time… until that anger just became… anger… and hate. For a crime I never committed, just for having her face.” Nora explained, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Ruby stood up and she walked over to Nora, wrapping her up in a warm hug. “I’m so sorry, Nora.”

“It’s okay. But you wanted to know why I want to help you stop Jackdaw? It’s the same reason why I hate Killian. They all remind me of that Mayor, how he poisoned my father’s mind with hatred, how he killed my mom. I hate men and women who do such terrible things and get away with it… they don’t deserve to keep on going without punishment. I could never stand by and let you go after Jackdaw alone, you have a right to make sure that he finds Justice for what he did to your family… because to me… you’re family too.” Nora smiled, she then hugged Ruby again, and she hugged her back with a smile.

The two of them were always friends but this was one of the few times she ever had any one-to-one time with her. They broke their hug and sat back down next to each other, watching the Grunts that sparred with each other outside. Cinder was stood in the background with her arms crossed, before she gave Ruby a stern glare, and walked away towards her tent where Amber would be sleeping.

“So… even after all that… you’re still this ball of joy. How?” Ruby had to ask, which made Nora chuckle.

“It was always my way, for Ren. I was too young to remember my mother, and I never really knew a time when my father loved me. But he loved his parents, so when they were killed by the Nuckelavee… it broke him. So I wanted to see him smile, so I made all the jokes, even though he was the brave one. Ever since… that’s been our way. He calmed me, and I made him laugh… then things just got… better.” Nora smiled, and Ruby smiled back.

“I don’t know if I could ever do it.” Ruby sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“You and Ren, Pyrrha and Jaune, Blake and Sun, Weiss and Neptune. I don’t think I’m right for that kind of life.”

“Some day, you never know what can happen.”

“Maybe… but I’ve always had one thing on my mind, and it’s always been being a Huntress.”

“But how long can you keep living like that though?”

Ruby paused, and she never thought about that. “You have to have something else in your life than just killing monsters… otherwise you’ll end up like Raven, or maybe even Qrow.” She said to her with a smile. “Not saying you _have_ to fall in love with someone. But… just find something, something you enjoy outside of this job. It’s what we did.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. Ren’s a crazy good artist, and me? I love teaching kids stuff, going to the Orphanages and stuff.” Ruby smiled and looked out at the distance. “So what do you like doing in your spare time?”

“Uh… I dunno… I like playing video games.”

“Then why not focus on that? You like books too, ever thought about writing one? Combine them?” She suggested, Ruby never looked at life that way. It was not a huge industry on Remnant, but she always loved playing her video games on her scroll. Helped her escape the world for a while – especially when on a hunt for a Grimm.

“Maybe…”

“Just an idea, think it over.” Nora shrugged.

Ruby opened her mouth to keep talking, until they heard the commotion outside. “WHERE IS SHE?” Cinder screamed, running out from Amber’s tent. She looked around with fear, that was an emotion they had never seen before from Cinder fall. Ruby and Nora stood up, and they walked outside, the screams from Cinder Fall woke up both Yang and Ren, then they followed them outside.

“What’s going on?” Nora asked her, all of Cinder’s reserved hatred for the four of them instantly seemed to fade away. Her mind was completely focused on finding Amber, it was clear now that Cinder really did start to care about her.

“Where is she? Where is she!” Cinder yelled with immense worry, Ruby and Yang turned when Raven’s tent suddenly opened and Raven emerged with Valravn and Qrow, the three Branwens walked over to the commotion, seeing Cinder in the most fear they have seen her since Raven first picked her up after the Fall of Beacon.

“What is this?” Raven questioned, Ruby turned and she stared at Valravn, who also stared straight into her Silver Eyes. Ruby shuddered, looking away from the unnerving man who stood beside Qrow with those windchimes ringing out.

“Amber! Amber is missing! I went to check on her and she’s gone!” Cinder shouted, Raven immediately stormed towards her tent and she threw it open, staring inside of the empty room, where her teddy bear was still sat. She crouched down as Ren walked over and looked inside with her. Raven picked the teddy bear up, staring at it, and she knew that she would have never ran without taking the plushie with her. It was her favourite toy, and her only toy.

Ren was the one to spot the biggest clue though, he crouched down as the spider crawled across her bed, he picked it up by the leg as it dangled, writhing in his grasp. He looked at Raven and she stared at the Arachnid, she clenched her hand into a fist with anger, she dropped the toy and walked outside.

“Malachite.” Raven told them all as she came out, Eryka walked out from her tent and so did Oscar and everyone else. Vernal picked her weapons up with a shocked stare.

“Malachite?” Ruby asked.

“She must have had a contact watching our camp, taken her when she had the chance, after we cleared out the Hearthstone Chateau.” Raven explained, walking into her tent and she picks her sword up instantly, Qrow does the same, kicking his sword up in the air and catching it in his grasp. Everyone started to pick up their weapons, whilst Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren looked around at everyone. Fear started to fall upon them all, they were all moving with a determination they had never seen before.

“W-What are we doing?” Ruby stammered.

“We’re getting her back!” Cinder growled, forming her Obsidian Axe in her hand, her amber eye ignited with anger. Vernal caught Cinder’s forearm as she walked past her.

“You alright? I didn’t think you –”

“Cared? The girl is me, and she reminds me of someone I killed for Salem. I will not let her die, I will not let her end up like me.” Cinder snarled, she stormed off from Vernal who reached out for her, sighing. But then Vernal hardened herself and she joined the Grunts who were all picking up their many weapons. Firearms, blades, axes, explosives – they are taking everything.

Raven approached the oldest members of the group who were not able to fight anymore, but helped in other ways. Medical care, food, cleaning, alchemy and much more. “O’Connor, Frankie, Jenny, Abby. Stay here and start packing up the camp, we’re moving out, heading to the Mountains. Whether or not we come back with Amber, be ready to get moving.” Raven ordered.

“What are you going to do?” O’Connor asked her, he was one of the older men here, he was the man who helped them build their ammunition from whatever scrap they found on their raids. He was also very good with managing money as well.

“We’re gonna go have a little chat with Miss Malachite.” Raven snarled, Yang stared at Raven with shocked eyes.

_She’d do this for a little girl she hardly knows… but never came for me when I lost my arm?_

_Is she serious?_

“The four of you! Stop standing around, get your weapons. If Malachite doesn’t come to her senses and gives us Amber – we’re going to kill them all.” Raven explained, their eyes widened with fear.

“K-Kill?” Ruby stammered fearfully, Raven walked straight past them. Yang watched her mother walk straight past her… and Valravn’s words when they first met were starting to make more sense.

_Ah, the shining light in the sky that shrouds its darkness from within. I wonder, what will we uncover when we cast your shade upon your light? What secrets will we find? What mistakes?_

She understood it now… Raven was the one who let her shade shroud her light, whilst Yang had not done it yet. Yang had the blood of a Branwen, which meant that she had this fire in her, just not ignited.

Ruby stammered, when she turned to see that Shay had gone into their Tent with some other Grunts, throwing their weapons to them. Ruby caught Crescent Rose as the collapsed weapon landed against her chest. Silver eyes wide with fear of the prospect that had faced her… they had fought people before, but they never used Lethal Strikes – only hit them enough to break their thin aura and to knock them all out.

Even then though… they could have indirectly killed people… but never directly.

Raven walked towards the enraged Cinder, she was shaking with anger, her Fall Maiden powers were stronger than ever, feeding from the immense anger that flowed through her veins. “Cinder, we will get Amber back. I know you have started to grow close to her, and I promise you, that you will grow even closer. I swear to all the Gods.” Raven promised, she turned to Eryka and picked up her bow, offering it to her. “You with us?” She asked her, Eryka nodded her head and took the bow.

“Yeah.” She growled in agreement, wanting to kill these people just as much as they did. Anyone that kidnaps a child… they should be punished for their actions.

“Those staying, get ready to move out! Everyone else, with me!” Raven demanded, she unsheathed her sword and opened the portal behind her as all her Bandits got ready to charge, cheering and hollering to go to war against the Malachites and all their little spiders.

They could take and accept threats…

… but this?

No… not this.

Raven walked through the portal with Cinder and Valravn, and in an instant, they stepped from grass to sand. They walked past all the destroyed buildings that surrounded them all, left behind after the Drought claimed the exterior. Everyone followed, and the last who came through were Ruby and her friends. Raven closed the portal behind them, and their force of Branwen Bandits marched across the sands of Vacuo.

The night was still dark, the Shattered Moon watched the Bandits as they moved ever closer towards the Chateau in the distance. All the bandits started to ready themselves, loading their firearms, sharpening blades, and rolling their shoulders. Some of them looked excited to battle once more, it had been quite a long time since a good raid against another Criminal Gang.

“How the hell did this even happen?” Qrow questioned as he walked with Ruby and the others, he stayed close with them, he did not want to leave his nieces alone with this Bandits, not on a raid like this.

“I don’t know! I mean I heard something half an hour ago, but I thought it was one of Shay’s boys screwing around with one of the fireworks we found.” Vernal stated, but Shay shook his head, as he loaded his dual Revolvers with dust charted bullets.

“No, we heard the same thing. Sounded like a goddamn jet!” Shay called out as he slicked his mullet back.

Everyone knew what they were talking about, none of them though even knew about the assailant with the metal wings that stole her. “Are you certain this is Malachite’s doing? I mean we paid our way with her!” Ruby asked with worry.

“Did you not see what was in that damn Manor, kid?” Cinder asked her. “The Malachites and all her Spiders are loyal to nobody but themselves. It’s not the first time she has taken someone as a bargaining chip so she can use you for her other deeds. Or she could just double cross you and kill everyone you know to cut off loose ends. Lil Miss Malachite is the most dangerous person in Vacuo…”

“We never should have dealt with her.” Oscar stated.

“We didn’t have much choice, we had to stay ahead of Killian and the Black Gallows, you saw how close we were to getting caught last time.” Raven reminded.

“I’m gonna kill them all…” Cinder snarled with anger as she walked with them, dragging the blade of her obsidian axe through the sand, scorching a trail behind them.

“Cool it, Cinder. If she knows where she was taken, we cannot risk losing that info. Anima’s a big continent, whoever it was who took her could be anywhere.” Raven explained.

“How the hell did someone manage to get into the Camp in the first place? We have tripwires and alarms set up around the entire base, no way they could have got in without anyone noticing.” Vernal stated as she charged up Wind and Fire in her hands.

“I don’t know, but whoever it was must have had some kind of aerial system on them, like a jetpack or something. Because there were no tracks into the Camp, just ones that landed outside her tent and the scorch marks where he left.” Raven explained, Valravn was still silent as he walked, staring directly ahead at the Chateau.

Ruby looked up at Qrow with fear in her big silver eyes. “Uncle Qrow?” She whimpered.

“Don’t worry kiddo… just… just stay close, alright? All of you… this isn’t your fight. And besides… what’s about to happen… let’s just say there is a reason why her Tribe are feared.” Qrow warned, which just made the four of them even more nervous. Eryka held Dulcis on her forearm and she whistled, letting the big bird take off into the sky, and she connected to his eyes, staring through them and able to see all the Spiders that were in the building.

They had done quite a lot of work on the house, already had it mostly repaired, however they were still working which gave them the advantage. “They don’t even realise that we’re coming.” Eryka informed.

“Good, means we have the element of surprise. Shay, take your boys and flank the entire perimeter, get the whole house in your sights. On my signal, open fire, kill them all.” Raven advised, Ruby stammered and she shot forward to get in front of Raven. Qrow’s eyes widened and he reached out for her.

“Ruby!”

“Raven, wait… please… can’t we find a more peaceful way to do this? We don’t have to kill them, can’t we just talk to her? Scare her maybe? She’ll answer, tell us where she took Amber, why she took her.” Ruby desperately suggested, in the vain hope that they did not have to murder these people.

Raven stared at Ruby, and Cinder just scoffed. “Get out of the way, kid.” Cinder snarled, but Raven held out her hand.

“Because you’re Summer and Tai’s little girl… I’ll consider it. I’ll give them a chance to talk… but if they don’t? We’re going to kill them all.” Raven stated, before they barged past her again, then the Grunts all began to circle the perimeter of the house, stealthily keeping to the shadows and the dunes. Whilst the others all remained in the darkness by the ruins. Raven sat down on a rock, whilst Yang stared at her.

She wanted to know why… why she would risk so much for a child that is not hers. “Why are you doing this?” Yang questioned, Raven stared at her with confusion.

“I beg your pardon?” Raven questioned, coldly staring at Yang.

“Why do you even care? I doubt you even knew her name, yet when she’s taken you put your whole tribe at risk for her. But when this happened?” Yang asked, lifting her cybernetic hand up. “You weren’t there.”

Raven stared at her with near emotionless eyes, it was as if the one that was being kind to her a day ago had completely vanished, and now it was the Chieftess. “She’s one of _us_.” Was her only answer, it cut deep, as if all that talk of family that Yang had with her mother meant nothing in the end. Yang stepped away and turned back to the others, seeing how scared both Ren and Nora looked.

They never seemed afraid of anything… but this?

They knew what the Branwen Tribe could do, they’ve seen what remained from villages that Shay raided. But never what they could do when they were lead by Raven herself.

As they waited, Raven heard the whistle from Shay nearby, letting her know that they were all in position. Raven exhaled and stood up with her sword still sheathed as she walked out into the open. “Come on, let’s go have a chat with these Spiders.” Raven said to them all, then they all walked out into the open.

Raven, Valravn and Cinder at the front.

Then behind them were the brunt of their forces. Oscar, Eryka, Vernal, Ruby, Yang, Nora, Ren and Qrow. Raven walked with Cinder beside her and she muttered to herself. “Who steals a damn child?” Raven snarled.

As they approached, they stopped before the Chateau, and Valravn’s whispers entered the minds of the Spiders who all spun around to see them stood there. “We would like to have a word with your boss.” Raven told them, the men all had no idea that they had the crosshairs of countless weapons aimed at their heads. Melanie Malachite was stood there, and she walked towards them with her white dress on and blades heels stabbed into the sand beneath her.

“You should have cautioned against this decision, Branwen.” Melanie warned.

“Oh I doubt that.” Cinder growled as her eye ignited, gripping her Obsidian Axe in her hand.

“You should not have come here, and if you were wise you would leave before you all get killed.” Melanie warned.

“We are simply here to speak with your boss, you took one of ours. Amber Phusia? Name ringing a bell?” Raven asked her curiously.

“Yeah, it does. She’s ours now, and you will do what we tell you – otherwise we will wipe you out.” Melanie warned, Ruby stood there with desperation, hoping they would just let them talk to Lil Miss Malachite. Raven pinched the bridge of her brow, she was trying to honour Ruby’s request, but they were making it very hard.

“Look, I don’t want to have to kill all of you to get the answers I need – but I will if you force me to. Now if you wanted to threaten us, you could try your damndest… but stealing a little girl? That is not the way you do things. Tell us where you ordered the kidnapper to take him.” Raven demanded one last time. Melanie scoffed as she walked forward.

“Get the hell out of here, before we all light you up where you stand!” Melanie demanded, Raven glanced at the house. Noticing that the Spiders were now in position to fight, rifles and Repeaters all glared down at their heads. Raven looked back at Ruby and just sighed, which made Ruby’s blood run cold, and her hand tapped the hilt of her Odachi.

“If you’re not gonna be civilised about this.” Raven said, then she whistled.

Suddenly the dark dunes lit up with gunfire, and Grunts with melee weapons charged towards the Spiders on the ground with deafening hollering. Raven slashed her Odachi free from the scabbard and slashed the fire dust coated blade towards Melanie, which impacted straight into her chest. The fiery attack knocked the aura protected woman down to the ground, then the ground around Cinder suddenly erupted, and she floated up into the air.

Eryka grit her teeth, and she charged with Vernal and Oscar, Qrow stood with them, and he looked at them. Ruby covered her mouth with fear, she could not even move… none of them could. “Just… stay in cover!” Qrow ordered, he knew they would die if they did not do so, and then he spun round and deflected an incoming shot. The Bad Luck charm caused the rebounded round to shoot straight through the Spider’s skull, his blood and brains splattered across the window behind him. He walked beside his sister and his uncle as they approached the Hearthstone Chateau.

 

**Qrow**

The Branwens walked faster and faster towards Melanie who was slowly getting back up from the sudden attack from Raven Branwen, and then the doors burst open and the Spiders came flooding out to defend their Broodmother.

Melanie yelled with anger, and charged towards Raven, jumping up and kicking at her with the blades that extended from her heels, but Raven blocked the incoming strikes with the blade of her Odachi. Sparks erupted from the contact of the blades colliding into one another, then when she landed, Raven slammed her head into Melanie’s, knocking her back. The Malachite Twin grunted and staggered away from her, when suddenly Raven shot her sword from the scabbard and the hilt slammed into her chest. Melanie staggered back again, then the sword returned to Raven’s hand, and she lunged forward, drawing the red blade and slashing it across Melanie’s aura.

Valravn turned upon hearing the sound of many Spiders cocking their guns and firing them at him. He suddenly leapt forward with a haunting roar, the whispers of the Ravens all started to shout around him. He drew his dual sickles and he slashed them through the Spiders and their unarmoured bodies, carving through them with such ease. Thick red blood sprayed from their bodies, severed limbs flew from their cleaved bodies and splattered onto the ground. Valravn slid across the ground as he landed, blood drooled from the curved blades, then he rose tall, turning as he walked away from the others, the constant whispers infecting the minds of the Spiders like a plague.

“Valravn… Valravn… Valravn…”

Qrow stared the attacking Spiders down as they charged towards him with their swords and bats, yelling with rage, and one of them goes to slash him with the sword, only to trip on a piece of rubble that protruded through the rubble, breaking his ankle from the Bad Luck Charm. He crashed down to the ground with a scream, whilst Qrow dodged the incoming baseball bat, ducking underneath it, then he swung round with Harbinger. He brought the sword round and sliced it straight through the shoulder of the spider, and down into the centre of his chest. Blood poured and sprayed from the impact, choking on his blood as Qrow pushed the corpse from the blade, before he transformed the blade into the long Scythe. He jumped up in the air and spiralled through the air, beheading the third Spider in one swing, sending his skull flying, bouncing across the ground.

He landed and collapsed the Scythe back into Sword form, then the blade folded down and he aimed the barrel of the gun at the face of the Spider who begged him for mercy. “P-Please!” But Qrow showed none, he just mercilessly fired and blew his brains out from the shotgun, splattering his skull across the sand.

He turned to see Shay charging with his men towards the House, their many Grunts were flooding the unsuspecting guards, they had no idea that they were all around them, meaning the ones from the sides and back took the attack so suddenly. One of them tackled a Spider to the ground and battered her skull in with a hammer, killing her quickly but he kept collapsing her skull, laughing maniacally. “It’s been a while since our good hunt, hasn’t it boys?” Shay bellowed, firing his Dual Revolvers at their enemies. He shot one of them in the throat, causing him to choke on his blood, collapsing down to the ground. He walked towards the Manor, as the guards panicked, shooting at him, but he rolled down to a piece of rubble left behind, and then he aimed round, firing and nailing one of them in the eye.

“Look out, Shay!” A Bandit yelled, as he suddenly emerged and launched a missile from a Missile Launcher that they collected. The missile exploded and blew the double doors and the walls apart, collapsing down onto some of the Spiders. The flames spread fast across the flammable wood. Shay smirked, pleased to hear the screams of the Spiders who were blown to pieces by the explosion. Arms and legs were lost, and some lost their innards, begging for the pain to stop.

Shay grinned disturbingly at a woman who cried out for the pain to stop, he crouched down and began to strangle her slowly, enjoying the sight of her pain. Yang watched from the distance, horrified to see the brutality of what Raven’s Tribe could do when they were unleashed… they were monsters.

Eryka sprinted across the battlefield and she slid under the attacking blow of a Spider who held a Two-Handed Hammer, nearly taking her head off with it. She twisted round and fired an arrow at the Spider, it went straight through the back of his head and out his eye. He jolted from the sudden pain, and then the end came… his body collapsed to his knees, then to the floor. Eryka rose and she whistled to Dulcis, who dove down and slashed his talons across the throat of a Spider, spraying blood out like a pressure hose. She ducked and avoided the sudden shot from a Spider, who then charged at her with a machete. She rolled aside and just missed the attack, then smacking the Spider across the jaw with her bow, breaking the woman’s jaw.

The Spider took her machete and slashed it towards her bow and knocked it from Eryka’s hand, but that did not stop Eryka. She grabbed onto the Spider’s long grey hair and yanked her head back, suddenly driving her Hunting Knife down into her jugular. The woman choked in agony as Eryka slit her throat, dropping her to the ground, picking her bow back up. Blood covered her hand, she stared at it for a moment and sighed, before she walked away from the corpse, seeing the others all slaughtering the Spiders in their home.

Oscar charged towards the house and launched one of his Chained Hammers towards the Spider, colliding into his chest so hard they could hear the sound of his ribs collapsing from their. The body of the Spider flew through the window, then he slid across the sand to dodge the incoming fire from a Spider. He jumped at him and wrapped the chains around his throat, strangling him on the spot. Oscar howled viciously as he crushed the man’s throat, then snapped his neck with a single sudden twist.

Vernal slashed her curved blades across the chest of a Spider, so hard that the blood sprayed from the wound like a fountain, then she fired her shotguns at them, constant beams of superheated dust carved through their bodies with terrifying ease. She rolled aside and she blasted both of the guns up at one of the Corinthian Pillars above them, and caused the pillar to dislodge, and come toppling down. The Spider shrieked as it crushed him flat underneath its immense weight. More Bandits rushed past her, firing shotguns and repeaters into the Spiders, killing some of them instantly. But not all of them, most of them died agonizing deaths, stabbed and hacked to pieces by the Grunts, blood pooled out into the sand.

Vernal turned her gaze to see Shay with blood around his hands after he strangled that woman to death who begged him not to kill her. He had a deranged grin on his face, one that even scared her. Until the sky above them darkened more, blocking out the stars as lightning gathered and came crashing down. A Spider screamed in agony as Cinder blasted lightning down from the clouds and into the balcony. The Balcony shattered like glass, throwing his charred corpse from where he was stood, splatting down to the ground beneath them. Cinder hovered above the Spiders with a furious burning eye.

She held her hands above her head and she blasted flames down from the sky upon the Spiders that were still outside. Ruby had to cover her ears from the haunting sound of all their screams. Nora hugged her knees with fear of what these people could do when they were banded together. After all the terrors they had seen the Grimm do… it was people, that scared them the most.

Raven stopped the incoming slash from Melanie’s bladed heel with her sword, then she grabbed her by the throat and slammed her down into the ground with great force. Then she stabbed the Odachi down into her leg with great force. That was when her white aura broke and she screeched in agony, blood poured from her heel, unable to move from the pain. Melanie stared up at Raven, red eyes staring down into hers. “W-We had to… we had to make sure… this wouldn’t happen.” Melanie stammered with fear.

Raven scoffed.

“And look how that turned out.” Raven chuckled sinisterly.

“Y-You… will never fi-”

Melanie’s words slurred to silence, as Cinder suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and slammed the head of her Obsidian Axe down into her head, splitting her skull. Blood poured and shot out from her head, splattering against Raven’s cheek. She barely even reacted, it was Qrow who flinched from how sudden that was. Cinder pushed her boot against Melanie’s now dead body and kicked her from the blade of her axe, blood poured from her skull, and she toppled over to the ground. Her corpse twitched for a moment, then Cinder just walked away.

Not saying a word.

Raven sighed, ripping the sword from Melanie’s leg. “All you had to do… was talk.” Raven sighed, she walked with Qrow and the others and they entered the building, looking around to find Lil Miss Malachite. “Find the Broodmother of this lovely little gang of Spiders! But do not kill her! We need her to tell us where she took Amber to.” Raven demanded, and all the Bandits nodded their heads. Eryka emerged from the window, blood was over her, but not as much as Valravn or Shay. The Leader of the Grunts kicked a door down, and the screams of the Prostitutes and Strippers echoed from inside.

“Well look at this!” Shay laughed, until they heard the sound of a gunshot. They were killing them all, and as Qrow walked past Shay as he shot the innocents… it reminded him of why he left the Tribe. They were monsters, Shay was a madman, and he enjoyed nothing more than killing and causing chaos.

A man suddenly emerged from a room with a Double-Barrelled Shotgun and fired at Valravn, who simply stepped aside, and threw his Sickle straight into his chest, pinning him to the wall. He walked over and ripped the sickle from his chest, whilst Raven, Cinder and Qrow walked up the stairs. There were more dancers and Prostitutes on their knees, shaking with fear, just wanting to be let go. Raven walked straight past them, because she knew the bandits were going to kill them… and she could not stop them.

Raven approached the Master Bedroom, and she turned to her Bandits and she whistled to them all. They all gathered up and aimed their Firearms at the door, then she kicked the door open. Militia was stood there, guarding her mother, but she did not stand a chance. She was lit up from the bullets that came firing her way, shredding her aura in seconds. Militia gasped as some of the bullets went straight through her body, blood leaked from her body as she slammed against the wall. She slumped down and crashed to the carpet with a thud.

Lil Miss Malachite was cowering with fear of the Branwens who had decimated her estate, she could still hear them shooting her people one by one down there. Raven stared at her, then grabbed her by throat and lifted her up, slamming her against the wall. “This did not have to go down this way!” Raven yelled, Qrow turned and his eyes widened to see that Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren had followed them in. They could have easily fought… but the slaughter…

… that was what this was… a slaughter.

“So… you want me to kill you too, Malachite?” Raven snarled viciously, pressing the tip of her Odachi against her throat, covered in her daughter’s blood.

“You damned savages! My family have ruled the Intelligence Trade for over one hundred years in Vacuo! Look at what you have done!” Lil Miss Malachite screamed.

“Oh wah, wah, wah. I don’t give a damn about that, where is Amber. I know it was you, your man left behind a Spider. I am not stupid, it is your sign, and your daughter confirmed it.” Raven growled, Qrow looked at the four and he walked over to them, shielding them from what is happening.

“I told you to stay down there…” Qrow whispered.

“Y-You… massacred them…” Ruby gasped with horror, her silver eyes wide and mouth agape.

Qrow felt like he failed her, he never wanted them to see this side of him, where he came from. In fact, he never wanted to do another raid with them… and yet now he has.

Cinder stepped forward and pressed her burning hand against Malachite’s cheek, which scorched her skin and made her screech in agony. “Where is Amber! Who was it you hired that took him?” Cinder yelled with anger.

“Y-You murdered my people! My children!” Malachite cried out, Raven smirked and chuckled.

“Oh and I will surely finish off your last one right here, unless you start talking.” Raven warned, Malachite then began to laugh.

“Oh, I know your kind. Scum, every single one of you, only out for the chaos.” Malachite snarled at them, Raven narrowed her eyes and she stared straight into Malachite’s eyes.

“Where. Is. Amber?” She slowly questioned through gritted teeth. But Lil Miss Malachite refused to answer, so Raven calmed down and sighed. “Fine, if you’re gonna be that way.” She said, grabbing Malachite by her hair, then she suddenly stabbed her sword down, right through Militia’s heart. And as soon as she ripped it out, her blood sprayed across the room, right against Ruby’s cheek. She gasped with fear, and Qrow shielded them from what Raven was about to do. “Let’s take this hag outside! Any more little spiders for us to deal with?” Raven asked them, as she dragged Lil Miss Malachite towards the stairs.

“Nope, pretty sure we’ve swatted them all, just some defenceless stragglers left.” Cinder laughed.

“NOOOOO!” Lil Miss Malachite howled as Raven started dragging her down the stairs, one by one. Qrow stayed with the four of them, shieling their eyes from the slaughtered bodies that surrounded them.

“Don’t look… just… don’t look.” Qrow softly said to them as he took them down the stairs behind Raven. His sister stopped and she yelled out to her Tribe as she smelt the scent of fire.

“Yeah, that’s right! Burn this dump to the ground!” She erupted, her voice breaking in the process due to how loud she yelled. She kept dragging the crying Lil Miss Malachite down each step, before she dragged her through the blood of her people. Shay threw the last of her dancers into the ground, shooting her in the head with a smirk.

“Guess that’s the last lap dance I’ll be getting here!” Shay guffawed with excitement, and even Raven laughed. She was showing her true side, the Bandit Chief that they followed.

This… was the Branwen Tribe.

The real Branwen Tribe.

The flames spread like the plague throughout the house, burning the entire place down, not only erasing the Spider’s Web… but also the history of the Vacuo Mafia as well. Raven kept dragging the blood covered Malachite out, when she finally threw her down into the dirt, face first. Malachite grunted, and Raven walked down the wooden steps, pointing her blade at her face. Qrow took the four of them, and kept them shielded from the terror.

“Last time I’m asking you, Malachite. Why did you take Amber?” Raven snarled.

“Insurance! To make sure that you would never rise up against us! To pay a debt!” Malachite yelled.

“Pay a debt? To who?” Cinder questioned, so Malachite told them. She smirked as she turned to face them all.

“I sold that little girl to the ones who needed to tie up loose ends on their own business. I sold her to the Vasillias Cartel.” She revealed.

Eryka’s eyes widened and she looked away with fear, because that meant they will have to face Lavinia Vasillias… and her mother was a woman to be feared… and the Cartel were just as terrifying. However, she did not notice that Shay noticed her reaction to that name.

Most of the Tribe did not know what Eryka’s last name was.

Vasillias was a feared name, a very feared name.

“So if I were you, I’d start running, as far as you can! Because Lavinia will stop at nothing to tie up all her loose ends! She will kill every last one of you!” Malachite yelled, everyone stood there, knowing that now they had to face the Vasillias Cartel. But now… Cinder had only one thing on her mind. She let her axe collapse into dust, then she looked at Raven as Malachite turned to stare at the house that was burning.

Raven just nodded.

Cinder walked over to Lil Miss Malachite and crouched down next to her, staring at the flames. “Now you know how it feels… to watch your whole world… collapse into embers.” Cinder whispered.

“You will all suffer for this…” Malachite snarled, but Cinder smirked, her eye ignited and then she grabbed her by the back of her neck.

“No… only you.” She whispered, then she took Malachite and started to drag her back into the burning house. But as Cinder entered, her Fall Maiden powers extinguished the flames she walked into, forging a path through the collapsing building around her. She pulled Malachite back up the collapsing stairs, and grabbed the chains that did not burn yet, ripping it from the wall that held the chandelier up on the ceiling. The Ornament came crashing down into the hall beneath them.

Cinder approached the destroyed Balcony and wrapped the chain around Malachite’s neck and melted the other end to the inside of the house. She held her close to the edge and stared at her. “This is the life you lead, Cinder Fall? A life of murder?” Malachite yelled, desperately trying to get through to Cinder.

But she knew more terrifying people than her, and nothing she could say would ever terrify her.

“What does it matter? Isn’t the best way to deal with a spider, to kill it?” She asked Malachite.

“Knowledge… it is the only power that matters in the world!” Malachite preached.

Cinder smirked. “You see, that’s where you’re wrong. Knowledge might make you strong… but even the wisest Broodmothers… can get crushed by one that is stronger.” Cinder told her, before she kicked her in the chest.

Malachite screamed as she fell out the house and plummeted towards the ground, only for the chain to suddenly tighten so hard that it snapped her neck instantly. Her body hung, and she writhed from where she swung, gasping for air as her face turned blue from lack of air.

Ruby jolted from the horrible sight, watching another person die horribly.

“We need to get to the Vasillias Cartel, make a deal with Lavinia, we need Amber back.” Raven ordered, walking right past her actual daughter, who was simply frozen with shock from what just transpired.

Cinder jumped from the building, floating down to the ground and walked away from the hanging corpse of Lil Miss Malachite.

Qrow turned them away from the sight, leaving the burning manor, and the wiped out Spider’s Web behind.

Only crackling flames, and the swinging chain echoed…

… amongst the silence.

 

 


	22. Thicker than Water

**Ruby**

_Is this what life looks like now?_

She could not get that question out of her head, she had been back for a few hours now since they destroyed Lil Miss Malachite and her nest of spiders. That blood that once belonged to Militia still splattered her cheek, hardened from the now risen sun. She had not even noticed that the Shattered Moon had fallen behind the horizon, and that it was now a crisp Anima Morning. Her hands still shook, heart was pounding a thousand beats a second. She looked around, and suddenly all these people bar the three friends she knew she could trust… they all looked like monsters to her.

_How could they have done that? They butchered them, I heard their screams… they were begging for mercy. Raven didn’t even stop them, she just let those people slaughter them like they were cattle._

_How do you live like that?_

_How can they sleep at night?_

Ruby turned, seeing that her friends were just like her, Nora held her axe atop her crossed legs, staring down into the reflection of the blade. Her trauma was mixed with anger, she felt so much rage… because she was a part of all this. Pink electricity coursed through her muscles as she stared at the Bandits, her hands squeezed over the grip of Stormur Skeggox, her eyes faintly shimmered bright. Ren just stared at the ground, trying to stay calm unlike his girlfriend, and Yang had similar anger. But hers was matched by seeing what her mother truly was, part of her honestly believed she was better than the rest of her bandits.

But after last night?

It proved her wrong.

Yang held her hands together, breathing slowly and carefully, she could feel the red flowing into her lilac eyes, staring at Shay who had his eyes directly on Eryka as she walked around with Dulcis on her shoulder.

There was silence among the four of them, Ruby had not actually said a word since the Fall of the Malachites. She ached with fear of where they were standing, and it was not her that spoke first. “Do you think we’re on the wrong side now?” Nora asked as she spun Stormur Skeggox with her fingers, her eye twitched as she stared at them all, the Branwen Tribe, a band of murderers and thieves.

Ruby looked at her, she did not rightfully know how to respond to that question, simply because she had no idea. “I don’t know… I still stand where I do against Killian… but… after what they just did? I dunno… maybe staying behind… maybe playing the part would have been smarter.” Ruby stammered, it hurt to say those words, but she would rather sacrifice her freedom to choose than to become like these monsters. To kill people, and smile while she did it, to hear their screams as they died in pain, and feel nothing.

That was not who she was… it was never who she was.

But Yang did not agree with that, she turned and stared at her sister. It was very rare to see her this scared, sure she has been afraid in the past. She was only human after all, it was natural to be afraid. But that never stopped Yang from worrying about her, for just like her, she was her big sister.

“Hey… you’re not seriously giving up on me are you?” Yang asked with great concern in her voice.

Ruby stared at her with confusion, those large – usually bright – silver eyes, looked so dim with fear of where they were. “Yang… did you not see what happened last night? This was the exact thing I wanted us to avoid. We allied ourselves with Raven because she wants to take Jackdaw down as well, but not this! Not murdering people like last night.” She argued, she touched her cheek and felt that dried, scabby, blood on her.

It was like some kind of sick reminder for her.

Of why she became a Huntress, to never take life but to protect it. And yet after everything, she is faced with so many conflicting thoughts.

_I will never kill a soul, I cannot. But Jackdaw cannot walk away, he does not deserve to walk away after everything he has done._

_Which path should I take?_

_I really don’t know… I can’t be like Raven and her tribe… Mom and Dad would never want that for me._

Yang looked at her sister with concern, and she gently held her hand. “I know, and I don’t like this any more than you do. But we took the only path that was in front of us. We never could have agreed to what Killian was demanding, because there was never any real choice. Doesn’t matter how that bastard paints it, there was never a real choice involved. Is this what I wanted us to see when we took this path? No… but maybe… just maybe it helps us take him down.”

“How can you say that? They butchered them.” Ren disputed.

“They were criminals.” She reminded.

“Yeah, and your own mom cared more about some random kid than she did for her own daughter. Did she ever march down to Beacon and butcher the White Fang and Adam?” Nora asked, that cut deep for Yang. Any mention of the Bull Horned Psychopath made her sick to the stomach, made that Phantom Limb Pain return ever so slightly. Nora calmed herself down, neither Ruby or Ren could tell who would win in such a fight.

“That’s cold, Nora.” Yang stated, Nora sighed and she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but I’m just trying to say that it is not right. Criminals or Innocents, it does not matter. What they did was ruthless. They killed innocents, prostitutes and dancers were being murdered and tortured, I heard their screams, begs for mercy. Even the Spiders themselves, not all of them were real fighters, and yet when they cried out for mercy, they amped up the suffering. It was barbaric.” Nora explained with anger in her voice.

“I know, and I am not defending that. Especially not my mother, I thought she would be better than them, that she would have tried to control the situation rather than make it worse.” Yang stated, staring at her mother who was still polishing her blade, she had gotten the blood off ages ago, but she kept on polishing it. Looking after every single one.

“I suppose this is the real world now… murderers and thieves.” Ren sighed as he stared at the Grunts with anger.

“It does not have to be… it’s why we’re here. After we stop Jackdaw… maybe we can make things better.” Ruby said.

“Stop?” Yang asked her. “You used to say you wanted to kill him, has that changed?”

“Yeah… I mean… I wanted to, but I’ve been thinking about it. He has to be stopped but… with life there is possibility, y’know?” Ruby stated with the shrug of her shoulders.

“Yeah, like him continuing to kill people?” Yang asked. “I know you don’t want to kill people Ruby, and I would never make you… but I don’t really agree. If I can avoid it, then I would but sometimes we may not be given a choice. And with Jackdaw? I don’t think there is one. He’s been arrested over and over again, put in jail by the Black Gallows, over and over again. And every single time he gets out and kills more people.”

“But what if… what if we can change him? What if that maybe it takes the right person?” Ruby asked her with curiosity, but Yang shook her head.

“I don’t think certain people can change, Ruby.” Yang said, looking at Nora, whom sadly agreed with her.

“I’m with Yang, what happened last night was terrible and I would never kill people – but some people in the world? Are just too evil to change. Sometimes killing is the only good and heroic thing we can do.” Nora stated with the shrug of her shoulders. Ruby shook her head as she stood up.

“I can’t accept that… I won’t accept that. We’re Hunters! We’re supposed to be better than that.”

“Huntsmen and Huntresses do what they have to do to get the job done.” Qrow suddenly said, they jolted as they turned, seeing the old Warrior stood behind them with a flask in his hand. There was a slur behind his voice, he was not completely blind drunk, but he was tipsy at best. He stumbled over, leaning against the barrel next to him with a belch.

“Uncle Qrow? Are you drunk?” Ruby asked.

“Yuuuuup…” He slurred with a laugh.

The four of them were finally in agreement as they united with a disgusted groan. “Whaaat?”

“Just get some rest, Uncle Qrow.” Ruby sighed, then as he burped, he sat down next to her, and he sighed.

“I’m… not that drunk, Ruby… I still know what I’m saying… kinda…” He grumbled.

Ruby looked at her Uncle and she just wished that he would quit drinking. But that was always the curse when it came down to any form of addiction… it was not as easy as a simple decision. One does not just quit their addiction, it takes a lot more than that. “Look… Imma sorry for what happen last night… it all went… b-bad.” He burped, yet his words were sincere, if he was sober Ruby and Yang knew his words would sound more so.

“That’s putting it very mildly.” Ren stated.

“Iss juss the way things are.” Qrow slurred softly as he sat there.

“It was a massacre. Nothing normal about that.” Ren reminded.

“You all come from an Academy, you never lived this kind of life. One where you were so hungry that you thought you weren’t going to wake up the next morning. Do you know what a lot of these people were? Before they joined Raven?” Qrow asked, and suddenly his slurred voice changed into his usual speak, as if he was sober. They all looked at him with inquisitiveness.

“What?” Ruby inquired.

“Some of them were petty criminals, ones that just couldn’t fit into society, only found a skill through stealing or using their intelligence in fraud.” Qrow explained, looking at all the different people that walked around the area. “But most of the Grunts? They were soldiers… Veterans, most of them left for different reasons. Some of them were badly injured, others were sick in the head from the fighting. And others were just tossed aside by the Government. The problem was… that there were not enough Veteran Homes to take them in at the time. If there is _one_ thing that I admire about Killian? It’s his devotion to people like him, soldiers who never unlocked their auras or their semblances.”

“How do you mean?” Ren asked him.

“He never gave up on them like the Councillors did, the way that most of society did. I have seen so many soldiers be cast aside, thrown away like they were trash. Hell I’ve seen some Job Offerings that specifically excluded Ex-Servicemen. It disgusted me… so a lot of those people just… turned to crime, using the skills they had, since there were people out there who would actually pay them for it. The Malachites, the Vasillias Cartel, the Vacuo Mafia, the Valerian Biker Gangs… and of course – the Branwen Tribe.” Qrow explained.

“Surely… not all of them are?” Nora asked.

“No, no… not at all. Most of them are simply thugs or broken souls that they _saved_. But Raven? And our fathers and Grandfathers who lead the Tribe? They knew how to manipulate those that society betrayed… sometimes I felt we did the right thing… but eventually I always remember the truth.” Qrow stated.

“What truth?” Yang asked.

“That any Criminal Organisation, no matter who leads it… never cares for those who serve them. Not really… in a funny way it’s the only thing that they have in common with the legal ones. People who work for them are just numbers. I guess it’s the one thing that separates the Academies from them all. We actually care for our warriors.” Qrow stated as he stared at the Tribe.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it? How close the Criminal Underworld and the Legal World really are.” Nora chuckled.

“It is… Valravn once told me that both sides secretly work together, to control the world. The Legal side stops the people from rising up against them, whilst the Underworld controls the flow of information. It always confused me as a kid, never really knew what he meant by that. But… when I got older he started to make sense. Both sides need each other, in their own weird ways.” Qrow shook his head with a heavy sigh.

This… was the real world.

It was corrupt, and cold.

A world where men like Killian and Lavinia Vasillias could do the things they do and get away with it. And where people who fought for their Kingdoms, for their families, were tossed aside the moment they were not useful.

“I’m sorry you saw what you did last night, I tried to hide you all from it. I didn’t want you to see what this Tribe really was… I tried to hide from it when I left. But every single time… I wind up here again.” He sighed, staring at the Tribesmen who were finishing up the deconstruction of the camp.

The Drunken Old Qrow sighed, staring at the flask and he took another swig of the whiskey inside of it, before he shoved it back inside of his jacket pocket. “I would have stopped Shay from forcing you to come with us, but it all happened so fast.” Qrow stated, he burped again and Yang looked at her Uncle, before she stared at her mother who was speaking to Vernal. Both of them had their eyes on Shay.

“Uncle Qrow?” Yang said.

“Yeah?”

“My Mom… you once told me that she would only save me once… but she said she tried to help me again at Beacon, but didn’t make it in time. Was she telling the truth?” Yang inquired as she stared at her Cybernetic Arm.

“I don’t know, she told me she tried, despite her rule. It was the way in which our parents raised us. Well, Valravn did… neither were around enough to be there for us. But Valravn would help us out of a situation once, but would expect us to find our way out the next time around. So that we would learn how to solve our own problems.” Qrow explained, he looked at the tent where Valravn would spend most of his time, away from everyone.

“I sound like such a bitch… but… seeing her go after a girl she barely even knew like that? When she never did anything like that for her own daughter? I dunno… it hurts. Like she never cared.” Yang stated, crossing her arms.

“She’s the Leader of this Tribe, Yang. Do you think they follow her because of her last name? Anyone can become the Tribe Leader, they just have to prove themselves with strength. If she shows any sign of weakness – _any­_ – and the whole Tribe could rise up against her. It’s a fragile thing… leadership.” Qrow explained, and Ruby looked at her hands.

_The state of my team… torn apart because of my decisions, because I lied to two of my closest friends._

“Tell me about it.” Ruby sighed.

Qrow looked at her, and he gently squeezed her shoulder. “I know that once this is over… they will accept you. In time.” He assured.

“I dunno… you didn’t see Weiss… you didn’t hear the way she spoke. She felt betrayed… betrayal is a wound that takes a long time to heal from.” Ruby stated.

They all sat there, and they just fell silent from their grief, regrets and fears. But as they sat there, they could hear a commotion building from the middle of the Tribe. Ruby stared at the start of it after she felt Ren gently bump her side, since he was the one who heard it first. It was between Shay and Eryka, he shoved her back and he started grilling her, over and over again. “Go on, really – why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind, Blue?” Shay asked her curiously as he walked towards her.

“Back off, asshole!” Eryka barked, she looked around and saw that the camp’s attention was starting to stare at them. One by one the Grunts started to watch the scene, Raven and Vernal watched the scene building. Cinder was pacing back and forth, her blood boiling over what has happened with Amber, but she stared at the two of them as this argument started to brew. This camp’s biggest weakness was the fact that if there was any form of negative emotions formed then it could cause a Grimm Attack.

Oscar emerged from his tent and so did Valravn, standing tall with the chimes ringing as they hung from his feathered cloak. Ruby, Yang, Nora, Ren and Qrow stood up as they watched the situation brew. “Why should I? Give me a damn good reason, Blue? I saw the way that you looked at Malachite as soon as she mentioned the Cartel.” Shay growled.

“So what? It’s the goddamn Vasillias Cartel, we all know how bad they are.” Eryka stated.

“OH BULLSHIT!” Shay exploded with anger, pointing at her face with great rage. He turned and the huge Eagle suddenly landed on her shoulder, screeching a deafening roar at him. Shay backed off from the massive Altum Eagle that was protecting his best friend, yet his anger did not subside. “We were all pissed off when we heard their name, but you looked scared! Scared because you didn’t wanna go back to them, right? I’ve seen that look more times than I can count!” Shay yelled.

“Shay, enough.” Raven demanded as she stood up, walking towards the situation.

“Hell no, I’ve had it with this. You always kept this one under lock and key when she was with us, and you let her go without any ramifications last time! Why?” Shay barked.

“Watch your tongue, Shay.” Raven hissed.

“Why?” He repeated.

“She is my friend, and everyone can leave whenever they wish to. She wanted to look over her little brother, I granted her that wish.” Raven stated.

“That the only reason? You know there’s always been something I’ve been curious about – why did you never tell us your last name? Raven never told us, you never told any of us. But I bet… that Vernal, Cinder and Oscar? I bet all of you know.” Shay laughed as he pointed his Revolver at all three of them. They recoiled back from the sudden gun that was waved around at their faces.

“Put the gun down.” Qrow ordered.

“Stay out of this, Qrow. You’re an out on this Tribe, you don’t get to order shit!” Shay yelled, he spun round and glared at Eryka again. “So… Blue? What’s your last name?”

“That’s none of your business.” Eryka deflected.

“Oh… I think it is. How about this… Surname for a Surname? I’m Shamus Desmond Mann. What about you?” He asked, but Eryka stayed quiet.

Shay laughed, then he spun round and stared at Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren. “That’s it. You two! At the same time! What’s her last name?” He snarled, pointing his gun straight at Ruby’s face, and Yang grits her teeth with rage, her eyes flared red. But before chaos could ensue, Eryka suddenly shouts.

“MY NAME IS ERYKA LAVINIA VASILLIAS!”

“Well hell, ain’t I the belle of the ball?” Shay laughed, drawing his second Revolver and pointing them both at Eryka with a smirk, until Vernal swiftly aimed Fire and Wind at him, so he pointed the other at her as well.

“Put the gun down.” Vernal ordered.

“Shut it, honey. Didn’t you hear? Our illustrious leader has been keeping the Queen Bitch’s Little Bitch under lock and key! We should kill her! Or maybe sell her to Lavinia! In PIECES!” He roared, finger on the trigger, and Dulcis snarled as he stood on Eryka’s shoulder.

But then Shay felt the cold blade from Raven against the back of his neck. “Back. Down. Now.” Raven growled, Shay lowered the guns, turning to stare straight into Raven’s eyes. “I never told the Tribe about Eryka’s relations to Lavinia because it was not your business. Besides, she is not her mother and doesn’t like her any more than you do.”

“I remember when you said that you treated us all as equals… was that a lie?” Shay asked as he squared up against Raven, but she just stared straight into his eyes.

“No… but there are some things that are simply not your business.” Raven reminded.

“That so? I think that maybe… we need to think of a change in leadership.” Shay threatened, as he holstered his dual revolvers and Raven sheathed her Odachi. “Someone who actually can lead the Tribe forward! Someone who makes us do what we do best! Instead of making us only fight against those who are just like us! We are bandits! We raid others and take their resources for our own! We do not sow! But you? The only thing you care about, is Goldilocks over there.” Shay said, before he looked her up and down and started to lick her lips. “If I were in charge? I’d show her a real good time.”

Suddenly Raven swung her fist into Shay’s face, so hard that it knocked him against the ground. He rolled across the floor with a grunt and Raven drew her Odachi, coated in Fire Dust, igniting from the air making contact with it. She pointed the long blade at his throat, and he held his hands up from his bleeding jaw. “If you dare… lay a finger on my daughter… you will be me to kill you. And if she sees me as a monster for what I did to the Spiders? She will see me for what I can really do… if you did anything to her. Because your suffering would be unimaginable.” Raven snarled viciously.

Shay stared at Raven, and that was the Raven that they all knew and followed. There was that fire in her eyes, and Yang stared at her mother… she did not know what scared her more. What Raven would do to protect a little girl? Or what she would do for her actual daughter?

Not many people could leave Yang speechless, but Raven always did.

Shay just spat blood onto the dirt, and he stood back up as Raven sheathed the sword back into her massive scabbard. Shay glared at her, there was still that doubt though – he wanted to lead the Branwen Tribe.

Raven always knew he did.

“This Tribe? It’s on Borrowed Time… how long will it take for you to realise that?” Shay snarled, before he walked away from the conflict, punching a barrel to take that anger out of him. Eryka sighed, pushing her hands through her soft blue hair, before turning to Raven who defended her,

“Thanks.” Eryka said.

“Well… the Tribe knows now.” Raven stated.

“It was gonna come out sooner or later.” Eryka stated, she turned to see Ruby approach with her friends and Qrow. Valravn was stood in the foreground with his staff held in his hand, those cold eyes watched her every move like a hawk… she could not tell if he was studying her or waiting to make some kind of move.

“Did you mean that?” Yang asked her mother, and Raven stared at her.

“You’re my daughter, of course I did. I know you don’t agree with my methods… but as you said a while ago. You don’t know me. But in time I hope you will.” Raven said.

“So what’s the plan?” Ruby asked with a sigh, she decided to think about the mission instead of the terrifying Tribe and what they could do.

“We head up to the Mountains, and we go to the Vasillias Cartel.” Raven explained. “It won’t be an easy journey, but it’s the best bet we have. I can’t risk using my portals up there, so many summits and chasms? We could fall to our deaths.”

“So we got a long walk?” Nora sighed.

“Yeah…” Raven groaned.

“Well, I know a way and a place that will make it faster.” Eryka revealed.

“Yeah? Where?” Qrow asked her.

“There’s a place in the Mountains, the place I was trained and where Dulcis came from. And where I found my way.” Eryka explained.

“Where’s that?” Vernal asked as she walked over to the conversation.

Eryka turned to them all and whistled to Dulcis who descended down onto her shoulder, chirping. “The Summit’s Claim.”

 

**Jaune**

The smell of burnt wood… of burnt flesh… it choked the desert air.

Jaune’s eyes were peeled wide with horror of what he was staring at, seeing the remains of Lil Miss Malachite, whose body still swung by that chain. Yet they could only tell that it was her due to how large the body was, completely charred and destroyed by the flames that consumed her. The stench of all that burnt flesh, burnt wood and toxicity in the air… it made them feel sick to the stomach. They had to look away from Malachite’s corpse after a while, the Authorities and the Black Gallows were here, and Winter turned as a familiar soldier approached.

It was Dutch, the soldier that she and Eryka captured and interrogated for answers back at Beacon Academy. He had risen up the ranks four years later, now he was Killian’s Right Hand Man, something that surprised even her. He was bigger than before as well, with his helmet collapsing back into his shoulder plates, piece by piece, revealing his face to the world. He also had a fresh scar across his jaw, one that he had stitched up himself. “It was the Spiders, Lil Miss Malachite’s Gang. They ran Vacuo, at least they did for a time.” Dutch stated as he walked over to them, with his double bladed sword sheathed onto his back.

He was not only his right hand man, but he was also an Obsidian Glaive, the highest ranking soldier beneath the Dark Eclipse (Killian). Winter held her hands on her hips as she looked around, and she walked beside Dutch, staring at the corpses that had been stabbed to death. “I know this style of attack, this was the Branwen Tribe. No doubt about it… meaning it was them.” Winter stated with a huff in her voice.

“So not only do we have a bunch of Huntsmen and Huntress going rogue, but now we also have a deadly Bandit Tribe on our plate as well? Gods this situation just gets better and better.” Dutch sighed, pushing his hands through his short black hair.

“Indeed.” She agreed, it seemed like the two of them had set aside their differences for what they happened four years prior.

Jaune stared at all the bodies, he may not have known that Ruby, Yang, Nora and Ren played no part in what happened here – but it did not look that way to them. The last that they saw of them was that they left Vacuo in a fight, and a bunch of Stockholm Troopers were murdered in the process. “How could they have done this?” Jaune stammered with fear, Pyrrha held his hand as she looked around, seeing the fire damage – she knew that only one person could have possibly done this damage.

“This is my fault…” Weiss whimpered with horror, they turned and stared at her.

“What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with you, nothing to do with us.” Blake asked with confusion.

“I let Ruby go… maybe if I didn’t let my emotions get the better of me… maybe if I had looked past her just being my friend? Maybe this would never have happened.” Weiss stammered.

“She wouldn’t have ordered a massacre… no… this had to have been Raven… what scares me is if Ruby and the others were involved.” Jaune stammered, they were all afraid. They never wanted to imagine the idea that their friends could ever do something so monstrous. So callous and savage, this was never their way.

But it was Raven’s.

Jaune stared back at Malachite’s body, seeing a Black Gallows Raven Talon taking off into the air with a jetpack, with a blade extended from the bracer so then he could cut the chain. He severed it with a metallic bang, causing her body to crash down with a thud. The soldier descended and stood by her burned remains. Cinder made her point very clear when she murdered Lil Miss Malachite.

“It’s making me remember… Beacon…” Pyrrha wobbled her speech, able to picture it all over again. “It’s like what Cinder did.”

“Hey… it’s alright.” Jaune assured, still unaware to the fact that Cinder was with the Branwen Tribe.

“Hey! We got a live one!” A Stockholm Trooper called out by the dunes, two of them had their guns aimed at the survivor and she slowly emerged. She looked exhausted from the night of terror she endured, but it was clear she was one of Malachite’s. A Dancer judging by her lack of clothing on her shapely body, she must have been freezing from how cold that night was.

Winter and Dutch walked towards the Dancer, and she crouched down in front of her when the soldiers helped her sit down, wrapping her up in a warm blanket. “What happened here?” Winter asked her.

“Y-You’re a Huntress… you’re like them…”

“Excuse me?” Winter asked.

“I saw them… the Branwens… that blue haired girl, the kids! They killed everyone! The girl… with the one eye…” She sniffled with terror, Winter’s eyes widened, she nearly wanted to tell Pyrrha and the others – but they were rattled as it was. The last thing either of them needed was to find out that Cinder Fall was still alive and was responsible for all of this chaos.

“The kids? Was one of them blonde?” She asked.

“Yeah… they didn’t kill anyone… but they didn’t stop the Bandits either.” The woman hissed with hatred in her voice. Dutch looked at Winter and she looked at him, they both stood up and walked away from the girl as the Authorities started to take her somewhere she could be safe.

“This is bad. You know that this would be seriously bad for your side of the Consensus deal, right?” Dutch asked her, Winter looked at him with concern as well.

Compared to Killian, Dutch was very different when it came down to his views of the Huntsmen. Some soldiers were more like Killian, ones that were not tormented into seeing them as their saviours, not all of them suffered from extreme cases of Stockholm Syndrome. He was one that joined because of his skills and his rank, but he did not blame the Huntsmen for the things that happened, and he did not hate them. But he also was not blind, and new that sometimes, lies have to be told to protect people.

And unlike Killian – he had one ideology, not two – and it did not mess with his mental health like it did for Killian.

Winter sometimes thought that maybe he would be better off as the leader of the Black Gallows, maybe they all would be. At least he was honest with himself, and knew who he was.

Winter looked at Jaune and the others, then at Dutch. “I’ll stick around here, see if we can learn anything else. I’ll tell Jaune, Pyrrha, Weiss and Blake to go. Their presence here? I dunno it may give off the wrong impression. I mean if Ruby and her friends were involved… like you said, maybe keeping as many Huntresses and Huntsmen off site would be best.” Winter explained, Dutch nodded his head and he walked away from her, before he turned round and looked at her.

“You know… I don’t blame you. For any of the things that Killian says… he’s just… angry, with how the Politicians run things, and he takes his anger out on their favourite toys.” Dutch stated, and Winter nodded her head with a sigh.

“Well… it’d be nice if he laid off us for a while.” Winter stated, then she turned and walked towards Jaune and the others.

“Was it them?” Jaune asked her.

“Doesn’t sound like they directly killed anyone… but the Dancer said they didn’t help the situation either.” Winter answered as she sat down on a piece of rubble, looking at the destroyed house. The fire damage had caused most of the roof to cave in, but the from was still standing… barely.

The Ambulance Crews began to take the bodies of the Spiders, putting them in black bags and zipping them up so then they could be taken to the morgues. But most of the bodies, inside of the building were now just ash in the wind. They were never going to find Militia’s remains, the fire had consumed her, and buried her in ash.

The Police had also locked the entire area off with tape, and there were News Crews already reporting on the scene, still unaware of what happened. They could hear countless different theories and stories being told by different News Broadcasters.

_Huntsmen massacre Crime Lord Lil Miss Malachite and her people_

_Terrorist attack_

_Grimm attack_

_Gang War starting?_

_Aliens?_

The list went on, and they could tell which ones were jumping onto the trend of blaming the Huntsmen for every little problem that came up. One of the stupidest ones they had heard, that even Killian knew was ridiculous, was when the news blamed Beacon Academy for the death of sixteen chickens in a farm. Turned out that someone did not lock them away, and a fox managed to get inside and eat them all.

That was how quickly people liked to pin the blame on what they believed was their enemy – ninety percent of the time it was crap, but that ten percent? Sometimes those were true.

“They just watched? They let it happen?” Weiss questioned.

“We don’t know, maybe they froze… maybe they couldn’t stop it from happening. I’ve heard how the Branwen Tribe do things, Qrow told me about it once. The Grunts? He said that Raven does not really have full control over them, and once a Raid starts? There’s no stopping them until they have killed everyone.” Winter explained, it gave them chills to imagine that… it was like having a Grenade that you had no real control over the detonation of.

“So you think maybe there was nothing they could have done?” Blake asked.

“Seems likely, the real question that’s eating at me though? Is why would they go back to the Spiders and kill them after they gave them the information they agreed on? Raven Branwen is many things but I never took her for someone who would break her word, unless someone did that first.” Winter explained.

“Well… I guess we’ll never know unless we track them down.”

“GUYS!” Dutch called from behind.

“Yeah?” Winter asked.

Dutch walked over to them with a small map in his hands. “I was talking to the Dancer, and she said that she overheard where they were heading.” He said, circling the Mistraalian Mountains. “She was hiding when the fight was happening, and they interrogated Malachite out here. She told them she sold some girl that they took from the Tribe, to the Vasillias Cartel.” Dutch explained.

“Oh shit…” Winter gasped.

“Vasillias… Neptune and Eryka’s family?” Weiss asked.

“Yeah, which means that they must be going to Lavinia Vasillias… that’s not good. She may be one of the most dangerous people in the whole world.” Winter explained to them.

“My mother dealt with them once… to punish the kids who bullied me… they put them in debt that would last even after they died of old age.” Pyrrha explained, Blake looked at Pyrrha with a slight bit of fear. She knew that her parents could be dangerous if anyone dared cross them, but she never expected her mother would do something quite like that.

“If they are going to get this girl back from the Vasillias Cartel, then that means they are heading into the Mistraalian Mountains.” Dutch deduced.

“Yeah, I guess that’s our best bet. Okay, you four? Head back to the Airship, get anything you need from the markets. We’ll get to the Shadow of Broken Promises and we will head to the Anima Mountains as fast as we can. Raven has her portals she could already be there right now.” Winter ordered.

“Are you sure?” Jaune asked her. “I mean, w-we could still help.”

“Trust me, we won’t be here too long. I’ve done this kind of thing more times than I can count, especially with Dutch and his men in the past four years.” Winter explained as she crossed her arms. “We’ll catch up.” Winter assured.

 

They parted ways, and around fifteen minutes later they walked towards the landing strip where they had left their airship. Jaune looked up at the sky, able to see the Shadow of Broken Promises all the way from down there.

It was hazy, but still there.

“Man things just seem to be getting scarier, don’t they?” Jaune chuckled.

“I know, tell me about it.” Blake agreed, scratching her cheek. “Reminds me back when we –”

Suddenly a missile flew in from out of nowhere, exploding into the building above their heads. Rubble covered in flames came crashing down from above. They scattered, wide eyed and shocked as they all drew their weapons.

Blake turned… and her eyes widened with fear.

He was stood there, with Wilt and Blush held in his hand, smirking sinisterly as his coat blew in the wind, eyes hidden by his mask. And he was not alone, there was a massive human stood next to him, at least he looked like he was a human being, sewn together like some kind of monster. Lightning Dust crackled through his arms after he stabbed the dust crystals into his body, turning his voice metallic with anger.

There were also two very identical looking Faunus, both of them were Fox Faunus, one with pointed ears and the other with a fluffy tail.

Weiss looked around as she saw the Faunus Militia emerging from the houses with guns aimed at them, Pyrrha and Jaune both stared at them all.

Then he spoke.

“Well, hell… hello my darling.” Adam greeted.

He got out…

… and was with Hazel Rainart.

 

 


	23. The Feral Ones

**Adam**

Madness…

It was devouring his heart and his mind. Once the valiant leader, driven by the idea of Justice against Humanity for their mistreatment of the Faunus, into a monster trapped in a cage.

Merely half an hour before he attacked them in the streets…

He was shoved up against the corner, his clothes motheaten and grime had covered the scars around his eye. _S.D.C_ it spelt, the Schnee Dust Company, burned over his eye which turned the sclera blood red from the burst blood vessels inside. It was like it glowed, bright and almost demonic, he gripped his hair, pulling the copper strands with pain. Blood ran down from his scalp, trickling over his scarred eye.

What was real anymore? That was the question he could never find the answer to, he kept seeing things all around him.

He turned, wide eyed as he saw her, stood right in front of him with flaming amber eyes, her cat ears were pointed like that of a Bengal Tiger. Her long locks of black hair were like smoke, embers trailed within the smog as she stared at him, with pale cracked skin. He clenched his hands into fists, staring at her. “You… you did this to me! You ruined everything!” Adam bellowed, but he turned and gasped, seeing Blake sat next to him, looking right into his eyes with a disturbing smile.

“We can still be together… all you have to do is come get me…” She whispered seductively, unusually so – as that was never Blake’s way. He could not feel her hands as they moved over him, countless copies of her surrounded him, but his teeth gritted together, and he spun round and punched her in the face. The hallucination vanished, and another pinned him against the wall, staring straight into his eyes.

“You! This is all your fault! You betrayed me! You’re a coward!” He brayed, but she shushed him, placing her false finger against his lips with a smile, her eyes turned pale as she grinned.

“I am… but only your love… only your perfection can save me. Save me Adam… oh gods I can’t live like this… save me!” She begged him desperately, but he pushed her ghostly figure away. He stood up swiftly, looking around as he pressed his hands against his head with great torment.

“GET AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY! YOU’RE NOT REAL YOU’RE NOT!” He screamed, until he heard a ghostly groan behind him. He turned and his eyes widened once more, he saw them – his parents – they were on their knees with maggots falling from their mouths and ears.

“How could you betray us, son? Why did you fall in love with that monster?” They both asked him, their voices were merged as they spoke, demonic and terrifying. He then saw a knife press against their faces, before a brand burned against his mother’s cheek. She shrieked in immense agony as her skin melted and bubbled from the torment. The dark laugh emerged from the darkness and he walked out, tall with the Brand in his hand.

It was Jacques Schnee himself, cleaned up and looking as perfect as always, his moustache waxed as he always liked it. His mother cried where she was knelt, and the hallucination of Jacques Schnee walked towards him, as two skeletal soldiers held knives to the throats of his parents. “What are you going to do, boy? Are you going to save them? Go ahead, try.” Jacques Schnee said to him, stood right next to him. He felt like he changed, and in the puddle of his own tears, his hallucinations had turned him back into the boy he once was.

His hands were shaking erratically, he was terrified, staring at where his mother and father were. Tears streamed down their cheeks as they stared at him, blood poured from the fresh burn on his mother’s face. The small boy with short red hair shyly approached the soldier, holding nothing but a fork in his hand to try and save his mother and father. The Hallucination echoed his memories, of how he lost his parents. The soldiers were laughing, clad in S.D.C Armour, yet another Private Military outside of the Atlesians.

“Mama… papa… please don’t hurt them.” Adam begged them, his soft voice was tender and broken, as he held the fork with both hands, tears streamed from his eyes, as he walked closer and closer. The cruel leader of the S.D.C smirked and he nodded to the Skeletal Soldiers, who laughed, and carved open their throats. Blood sprayed out across covered the same eye that would become branded. “NO!” Adam wailed, he went to run to his dying parents who choked on the floor, a pool of blood formed around their heads.

Until a soldier punched Adam in the nose, giving him a nosebleed. He fell to the floor and then they rolled him face down, into the blood, and turned his head, so then the blood covered eye was showing. Jacques smiled down at the boy, heating the brand up once more. “You see… the Faunus are simply animals. It’s all any of you are, just savages that we can use. Nothing more, and nothing less. And like all pets, and children, when they misbehave they should be punished. You all tried to run away, but you have to remember, you are my property. And thus… by that logic… what I do with my property? Well that’s my business… and I can do what I want with you.” He explained, the brand was burning hot again.

“Mama! Papa!” He wailed, his mother reached out for her baby boy as she slowly died in pain, and then Jacques held the heated brand above the screaming child’s eye.

“That’s her blood, isn’t it? Well… at least this way she’ll always be with you.” He assured, before he ruthlessly pressed it against his cheek, and her mother’s last dying word… was weak but desperate.

“ADAM!” She choked, until the soldier spun round and shot her in the head, finishing her and the husband off in a second shot. Their bodies twitched as their blood poured from their bodies. Adam continued to wail in agony, writhing as his skin and flesh cooked, blinding that one eye in the process. The stench of burnt flesh filled the air, and Jacques yanked the brand from his face, blowing some of the molten skin off, staring down at the boy.

“Remember that… you are nothing. Put the kid back in his cell.” Jacques ordered.

“What about the parents?” A soldier asked the Schnee Dust Company C.E.O. Jacques barely even looked at their corpses, he just looked at the soldiers.

“Where we always take their bodies. To the Atlesian Wildlands, if the snow doesn’t bury them… then the Grimm will have a tasty meal won’t they?” He asked.

Adam was barely conscious as he laid there, and even now, he was laid in the same position, he pressed his hands against the cold floor and he tried to get up. He grabbed his horns and he growled with anger, lifting his head to see Blake in front of him again. “If you were stronger they would be alive… don’t you want that? To protect me? To save me? You need power for that.” She whispered as she seductively played with her hair and touched her loosely worn white shirt.

Adam looked at her hand as it moved towards his, and in this state of hallucinations… he saw that Wilt and Blush was in his grasp. “Do you have what it takes?” She asked him softly, longingly. Adam stared at the blade and then at her, when he suddenly thrusted it straight through her stomach. She smiled, and blood poured from her mouth as she leaned forward and kissed him. “You’re weak because of me… show me I’m wrong… find me… and make me pay.” She whispered into his ear, but he stabbed her again.

And again.

And again.

He did it over and over again, stabbing the laughing hallucination of the woman he despised, fake blood covered his hands and the floor. When in reality he was punching the stones over and over again. The guards stared into his cell, and one of them slammed his stave against the metal bars. “Hey!” He yelled, Adam stopped, sweat covered his skin as he stared at the Prison Guard. “Cut it out, you’re giving me a headache.” The Guard demanded, Adam snarled and he stood back up, his fists clenched. He stared at the walls where he had scratched the days he had been in there… alongside her name.

_Blake!_

_KILL BLAKE_

_MAKE HER PAY_

_BE STRONG_

_BE POWERFUL_

_SHE DIES_

_TAKE IT ALL FROM HER! TAKE IT ALL!_

_TAKE THEM ALL_

_TAKE IT ALL_

There were others, some were more scrawls than they were words, his sanity was always in question before, but he had become quite the lunatic now. He stared at the wall, and he closed his eyes, breathing in slowly, trying to make sense of this madness. “Damn psychopath, wouldn’t it be better to put him down and be done with it?” One of the guards asked the other. One of them was a Stag Faunus whilst the other two were both Dog Faunus’.

“High Leader Khan says he needs to be alive, as a message for what we are fighting against. He represents everything the humans view us as, if we kill him, then we are no better.” The Stag stated.

“Yeah… I guess…” The first Dog Faunus said. The other sighed, leaning against the wall until he heard something behind him.

Suddenly a Spiral Dagger stabbed into the side of his throat, twisting and as soon as the blade was pulled out, blood poured out from his throat. Adam turned when he heard the commotion. “No!” The Dog Faunus screamed as he swung his sword at the Albain, only for him to drive his knife into his stomach, pushing him against the wall as he stabbed him repeatedly until he died.

The Stag Faunus when to charge and kill the two Fox Faunus Killers, until a massive hand grabbed the top of his skull and turned him around. His eyes met his hazel ones as they stared right into him, the unnatural man was like nothing he had ever seen. His body was sewn together with different human parts, and he had more scars than clean skin. He felt the grip of the man tighten, until he swung round and pummelled his skull into the wall so hard that his entire cranium splattered against it. His brains fell with skull matter, lifelessly his corpse crumpled to the floor. He wiped the blood onto the wall before he punched the door from his hinges. Adam staggered aside with widened eyes.

“W-Who are you? What is this?” Adam questioned.

“I am Corsac Albain, and this is my brother Fennec – alongside an mutual friend of your friend Cinder Fall. Hazel Rainart.” Corsac Albain introduced. “We all work for her master – the Rightful Queen of Remnant – Salem.” He announced.

“And we have come here because our Queen is a forgiving one, and offers you a second chance for redemption.” Fennec stated as he bowed his head honourably, they both spoke so fanatically, as if they were following some kind of unknown religion to Adam. Then the large man named Hazel Rainart approached, and he held what looked like the clothing that Adam wore when he was arrested, alongside Wilt and Blush. He threw them onto the floor in front of Adam, and he crouched down, picking up the sword, slighting unsheathing it as the red blade glowed.

“What do you want me to do?” He asked them, he knew next to nothing about Salem, other than the fact that she was extremely powerful.

“Help us track down the Relic of Creation and the Relic of Knowledge.”

“The what?” Adam asked.

“All will be explained, but we know that Jaune Arc and his band of friends are out there, and capturing him would make this task a lot easier. We take him alive.” Hazel reminded.

“His friends… is Blake among them?” Adam questioned.

“Unknown.” Hazel simply responded, Adam did not know it but it was simply so then he could keep Adam on track with the mission that was at hand. The last thing they needed was Adam to go on his own little rampage to kill a girl that has nothing to do with their mission.

But why did they want Jaune?

And why is he so important to locating the Relic of Knowledge?

Adam stared at the blade, he breathed slowly and closed his eyes. _Do you have what it takes? Do you have what it takes? Do you have what it takes?_

“Adam.” Hazel repeated, he stared at him. “Are you with us?”

A smirk formed on Adam’s face. “One thing first… Sienna Khan is in the next room, is she not?” He asked.

“Yes, it was hard getting in here quietly to not alarm her.” Hazel explained.

“Good… because I don’t intend on letting her leave. Or any of the White Fang, the whole thing can burn. Only our mission matters now.” Adam growled savagely.

“We have our own army now, called the Feral Ones. Warriors who will fight to the death for our Queen’s Goals.” Fennec stated.

“Well, isn’t that convenient. I will help you and your Queen, so long as you help me kill Sienna Khan.” Adam demanded, Hazel looked down at the Albains who nodded their heads. Hazel exhaled through his nostrils and nodded his head.

“You have a deal.” He agreed, opening his palm, and Adam closed the blade into its scabbard, before shaking his hand.

 

**Ilia**

Sienna sat at the table in her office with Ilia Amitola, both of them were drinking some nice wine, clinking their glasses together.

“Congratulations, High Leader. You’ve managed to completely lift the Faunus Ban in Mistral and in Mantle. This is quite a day.” Ilia giggled with a bright smile, sitting back against her chair as she crossed her legs.

“Indeed, I must admit I didn’t think this day would come. Especially with how I felt with Ghira’s way of doing things.” Sienna admitted as she took a sip of the Wine. The red blood coloured drink always was a great taste for them,

“I’m sure that Blake is proud as well. Wherever she is, haven’t heard from her in a while.” Ilia shrugged her shoulders, and Sienna nodded.

“Well I have heard a few things that have happened recently. All the stuff at the Academy with this Jack the Ripper guy. I had hoped he was dead, back when I last heard of his stories. I was only a kid when all of it came up.” Sienna remembered.

“I wasn’t even a thought.” Ilia chuckled.

“Wow, way to make me feel old.” Sienna joked, which made the adorable Chameleon Faunus gasp, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth.

“Oh gods… I’m so sorry.” She apologised.

“I’m just screwing with you.” Sienna assured, she set her glass of Wine down on the table and she sighed, staring at the map of Remnant. Vale, Vacuo and Mistral were now ticked off with the Faunus Ban being lifted from all the establishments. And even Mantle, now it was only Atlas – which was going to take a very long time to make that all work. Especially since the Northern Continent was undoubtedly the most troubling location of them all.

But after everything that the Atlesians have put their race through, it was going to take a lot more work to get them to lift the bans and treat them as equals.

“One left… and that will be a nasty monster to tame.” Sienna sighed.

“First we’ll have to get Jacques Schnee to comply, or put him in a cell for everything he has done.” Ilia snarled, she hated that name, she hated it so much. However she was bright enough to know that just because the father was an evil man, it did not mean that his daughters were just like him. She had met both, and she would have never believed that they were actually related to that monster of a man.

“He won’t go down easy, he has his own private military in Atlas, and he funds the Atlesian Military as well. It could start a war.” Sienna stated.

“He’d be stupid too, we’ve made powerful alliances now.” Ilia said.

“Sure, but they could keel over just from the lack of funding from the S.D.C, lack of Dust Trade. He could starve us out if he wanted to.” Sienna explained, it would be what she would do if she were in his position. Tactically he has the advantage over them all.

“It’s never easy, is it?” Ilia sighed.

“No, it isn’t. But easy isn’t what we signed up for, is it?” Sienna asked her, and Ilia smiled, clinking her glass to the High Leader’s once more.

“SIENNA!” Adam suddenly bellowed from the Throne Room. Their eyes widened with fear, and the Guards inside drew their weapons as they marched out, aiming their Staves at the four men that stood down there.

Once in Prison Attire, Adam now wore his asymmetrical black, long-sleeved, double-breasted stylized high-collared blazer with slit sleeves along with red thorn sigils adorned with a white crest that lined up on his left shoulder. His suit jacket had crimson lining atop his red shirt, with red thorn sigils atop a black flap attached to the bottom of the left hem and his wilting rose emblem on the back over an emblazoned white sigil resembling the curved stems and flower of the deadly nightshade plant. His blazer was half-buttoned, exposing a red shirt with a black line running parallel to his collar under it.

He wore long black dress pants, black shoes with red soles and black gloves with red sigils, alongside a black belt with white domino marks on it.

He was a Prisoner no longer, and the Adam Taurus that they once new had returned. Hazel removed his chilling mask from his internal jacket pocket and gave it to him. His mask was whitish-tan with red, Japanese style, horn-like symbols decorating the front and two slits on each side presumably to allow for vision. This is a redesigned version of the Grimm masks typically worn by most members of the White Fang.

“Adam…” Sienna gasped as her Chain Whip of many razors filled with different cartridges of dust unravelled from her wrist. Ilia drew her Whip, eyes narrowed with anger as she stared the four of them down. They were definitely outnumbered and outgunned, but they could at the very least wither them down. “What are you doing out of your cell?” She questioned.

“Well I was getting tired of sitting around, felt like I wanted to have a little walk around.” Adam stated as he placed the White Fang mask over his eyes, despite the fact he wanted the whole idea to burn to the ground now. None of it mattered anymore, they were all his enemies.

“Adam… we can talk about this.” Sienna begged, but Adam glared and he suddenly drew Wilt and Blush.

“I’m Done Talking.” He replied, before he leapt towards her and slashed Wilt and Blush straight at her, but she ducked down and rolled out of the way. Ilia gasped, and she rolled away as well, just as Adam viciously swung round at where she was stood. They both were stood at the ready, and so were the three of their Royal Guards. The Guards charged on Adam, whilst Sienna and Ilia went for the Albains. Fennec and Corsac both charged towards them, and Fennec leapt at Sienna, slashing his daggers at her. But she slid underneath his attack, and wrapped the chains around his waist, twisting round and slamming back down into the ground. The floor shattered like glass, throwing chunks of concrete up into the air, before she threw him in the air, jumping and kicking him in the face. He fell down the stairs, growling as he stared at her, only for Sienna to be grabbed by Hazel, who lifted her off the ground.

“I’m sorry, I did not want this.” Hazel sadly said, as he punched her in the chest, which launched her into the wall, blasting it apart. She fell from the crumbled wall, crashing down to the ground with a groan.

Ilia on the other hand blasted electrical dust from her whip as she slashed it at Corsac, who ducked under her attack and blasted wind from his Spiral Dagger. Ilia slid across the ground, stabbing her sword whip into the ground to stop her body from being thrown away in the powerful gusts of wind. Corsac immediately ran at her after he finished blasting the wind at her, and he tackled her against the ground, grabbing her by the throat with one hand, and going to stab down at her face with the other. Her eyes widened, and she moved her head aside, just as the Fox Faunus stabbed the dagger down into the ground. To break free, Ilia slammed her knee into his gut, causing him to loosen his grip on her, before she used her very flexible body to wrap her legs around his neck. She rolled backwards, and the movement threw the killer across the room and into the ground away from her.

She panted, spinning her Whip through her fingers, turning round as Fennec came for her as well, only for her to slash her Whip at him, crackling electricity through it as it curved and wrapped around his neck. He choked in pain as it burned his aura, then she pulled him with a powerful yank, and punched him in the face. Fennec fell onto his back and she went to stamp down on his head to take him down, until he pushed himself off the floor and kicked her in the head with both feet.

Adam blocked the incoming attack from one of Sienna’s Honour Guards, the blade of the Stave channelled electrical dust through it, and Adam’s hair began to glow as he charged his Moonslice Semblance up to deal an extremely dangerous attack that could decimate even the most powerful enemies, even machines. But as Adam held the solder back, he felt the stab from another soldier hit him from behind, electrocuting him repeatedly, he gritted his teeth with anger, before he was kicked in the side by the third. He tumbled across the ground and sheathed Wilt into Blush.

He stared at the charging warriors, then he swiftly drew and sheathed his sword three times, blasting red arcs of energy from the weapon like a firearm. The impacts of each slash dealt impressive damage to their auras, pushing them across the ground. Adam blasted from the ground at one of them, and he yelled, slashing straight through him. Gallons of crimson blood sprayed from his screaming body, splattering across Adam’s smirking face as he took the man’s life. The soldier collapsed to the ground, his head bounced across the ground like a basketball, blood pooling out where his head once was.

The other soldiers grit their teeth with great anger, and they tried to avenge the death of their friend, and the first one jumped up in the air and stabbed the stave down into the ground with great force. The impact blasted electrical energy into the ground, shattering the concrete with incredible ease, whilst the second spun the Wind Dust manipulating Stave through his fingers, then he launched the shards straight at Adam.

Adam however slashed each of them out of the air, and blocked the others from hitting him. His hair and the blade flickered bright red, channelling it back into his blade, and then the Lightning Wielding Stave, and he blasted an arc of electricity towards him. He drew Wilt and held it horizontally, absorbing the damage from the arc, and passing it back into his aura. The soldier resisted, and their eyes widened with fear. Adam leapt at them once again, and everything turned red and black, as he engaged Moonslice.

He swung through them, unleashing all the power from his semblance upon them, cutting them both clean in half. He stopped behind them, and then they crumbled away into dust, broken down into nothing at all. Their blades crashed down to the ground, clattering on the floor. Adam rose back up and he turned, staring at Sienna and Ilia who were still fighting against the Albains and Hazel.

Sienna swung round and launched one of her fire dust blades from the chain, which spun through the air and exploded against Hazel’s chest. He grunted and staggered back, her eyes widened when he did not even react to the pain. He clenched his fists and he stabbed a pair of golden dust crystals that crackled into his arms. He growled as his muscles started to grow and his eyes glowed brighter and brighter. He bellowed at her furiously, a metallic howl mixed inside of his voice. Sienna gasped, and Hazel punched her in the chest, and a bolt of electricity shot into her body.

The clap of lightning threw her back against the wall, and he grabbed her again, throwing her down into the ground, punching her over and over again, beating her into the ground, shattering the ground with every single punch he made. She groaned in pain, and he lifted her up by her head, she was dazed and her aura was already broken, blood leaked from her mouth from the savage beating she suffered, and then he punched her again with a growl, launching her across the ground.

She slammed down into the ground, failing to stand back up, and Ilia gasped, her eyes widened as she tried to get to her, punching Fennec in the jaw, and kicked Corsac in the chest. “Sienna!” She screamed, until suddenly a shotgun round shot into her aura protected body, knocking her onto the ground. Hazel glared at her and he calmed his rage down, pulling the dust crystals from his arms and shoving them back into his pockets. His body returned back to its normal size, and Sienna reached out for her Chained Whip.

Adam walked towards her, and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the floor as she gasped for air. “I’ve been waiting for this.” Adam snarled.

“You are… a disgrace… to us all!” Sienna defiantly barked at him, until suddenly he drove Wilt straight through her heart. She gasped in pain, feeling the red blade puncture her heart, and blood poured from her wound. She stared at Ilia and let out one last beg.

“Run…” She weakly rasped, until Adam pushed her from the blade, and swung round, slitting her throat. Blood sprayed from her neck, and she fell to her knees. She bled to death on her knees, and when she fell, she did not fall to the ground, and remained upright. Until Adam kicked her corpse to the ground with a maniacal smirk on his face, her blood on his hand.

“NOOO!” Ilia wailed, and Adam stared at her, and he walked towards her as well. Ilia remembered Sienna’s last words.

_Run…_

And that was what she did, she stood up and she ran, ran as fast as she could. Adam did not pursue, he just watched as she fled.

“Shall we go after her?” Fennec asked Hazel, but he just stared at her body and he sighed.

“Go.” The gruff voiced man ordered, they both turned and chased after her. Adam walked over Sienna’s lifeless body on the ground, and he approached the throne with a savage smirk on his face. “It was not supposed to be like this.” He stated, as he opened his journal, and wrote down two more names onto the list of people he has killed – so then he could never forget.

_White Fang Prison Guard x 3_

_White Fang Honour Guards x 3_

_Sienna Khan_

There were many more, and those he knew the names for he wrote them all – he never forgot any of them. Because he never _wanted_ to kill… but if he had to… he would.

All for Salem.

“Yes it was… you have no idea… how good it felt to do that.” Adam sinisterly laughed as he sat down on the throne, taking the mask from his face, staring at the White Fang Markings.

He then tightened his grip on it, and crushed it into dust, the fractured remains fell upon the floor.

“Nobody needed to die today.” Hazel sighed, walking away from Adam as they headed for the exit of the White Fang Vacuo H.Q.

Adam turned to the throne and he smirked, slashing the blade through Sienna’s throne, destroying it. “Oh… I disagree.” Adam laughed, before he turned and walked away from the throne… leaving her body behind.

The White Fang meant nothing to Adam now…

… just another enemy that must be vanquished.

**Blake**

She felt fear, a fear she had not felt in a very long time.

Her amber eyes met his blue and red ones, and he smiled maniacally, Wilt and Blush held in his grasp, his mind completely taken from the mission that was at hand. Hazel stared at him and he clenched his fist, he knew who that was, but he also saw that Jaune Arc was amongst them.

“Well hell… hello my darling.” Adam greeted with a sinister smile, his voice made her feel sick with fear. She always hoped he would stay in that cell for the rest of his days, so seeing him standing there with a sword in his hand scared the hell out of her. Weiss looked around and saw the other fighters that were here, apart from the Albains, she spotted the Feral Ones. And their name matched what they wore, they had armour and leather from the hides of whatever they could kill and find, using weapons and building them from whatever they could possibly find.

They looked feral, unlike the uniform wearing White Fang that was just decimated by their forces. Smoke trailed from the fire that burned within the explosion that blew open the side of one of the buildings. They could hear the screams of Humans being murdered by the Feral Ones, but then gunfire followed, as both the White Fang and Huntsman who were here started to defending them. “Adam…” Blake stammered with fear, staring straight back at him. “What are you doing here?”

Adam laughed, turning to the Albain Brothers and Hazel, the Monks seemed to laugh with him, whereas Hazel did not even show any emotion whatsoever. “Why does everyone always assume the worst?”

“Maybe that’s because you’re a crazy asshole?” Jaune asked, and Adam chuckled, staring at him now.

“So you’re the one they mentioned.” Adam stated, they looked at Jaune and then at Adam.

“Come again?” Jaune asked him.

“Some powerful people really want to see what makes you so useful, and I must say… I would like to know as well.” Adam snarled as he paced back and forth.

“There does not have to be any conflict, all we need is for the boy to come with us.” Hazel told them, pushing past the Albain Brothers.

“And what are you?” Jaune scoffed, pressing his hand on his hip.

“Yeah… you don’t look great.” Weiss agreed.

“Looks like a badly made doll, doesn’t he?” Jaune asked her.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Weiss agreed, and Hazel exhaled through his nose with annoyance at how childish they are.

Blake still stared at Adam with fear, but even she was confused by her friends who were pretty much just trash talking this unnatural human being. “Are you done?” Hazel asked.

“Oh we could go all day.” Jaune assured.

“Little thing of ours.” Weiss assured.

“Well, as fun as it is to listen to you insult my new friend here… we would appreciate it if you joined us.” Adam stated, walking forward.

“And what if he doesn’t want to go with you?” Pyrrha growled, and they all started to return back to a more serious tone, she drew Milo and Akoúo as she stood by her boyfriend. Adam pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, rolling his blue eye.

“I guess we’ll have to take him.” Adam answered.

“Well, I hate to tell you, Mr Taurus…” Weiss began. “But that’s not gonna happen.”

“Good, I was hoping you would say that.” Adam replied, as he suddenly blasted directly towards Blake, she gasped and blocked his instant attack with Gambol Shroud. The impact blasted sparks across the ground, he stared straight into her terrified amber eyes with an insane smile on his face, forcing her down onto one knee.

“ADAM!” Hazel bellowed, since they did not attack at the same time like they had planned, he was letting his personal hatred for Blake Belladonna and his obsession over her take over his emotions.

“Get off her, you psycho!” Jaune yelled, as he drew Crocea Mors with the shield still attached to the blade, forming I not the massive Bastard Sword. The slash sent Adam crashing through the stalls, her eyes were wide in terror, as Adam got back up, and she knew that he could kill all of them – well… except for one.

Pyrrha blocked off her emotions, and she walked straight past Blake, she stopped and looked at her. “I’ve got him, take the others.” Pyrrha told her, she knew that Blake would not stand a chance against Adam on her own – but she would have a better chance. Adam got back up and he sprinted towards the Spartan who through Akoúo straight at her, The shield bounced off his chest and staggered him, and then she charged, pulling it back into her hand as she twirled through the air and slammed it downwards against the side of Adam’s horn. He stumbled and she slashed Milo across his aura, jumping and kicking him in the chest. Adam staggered before he swung Wilt at her with great force, firing Blush three times at her. Pyrrha blocked the bullets with Akoúo before throwing it at him again, and as it bounced back she kicked it at him again. It rebounded right back into her grasp.

Adam swung his lethal red blade at her and she stopped the attack with Milo, holding him back as she suddenly blasted her Polarity into the blade, knocking him back, but he fired at her leg, staggering her. Adam jumped up and slammed his knee against her jaw, which made her stagger and he slashed at her face. She ducked down and she extended Milo into its rifle form. The Deranged Faunus spun his sword through his fingers, deflecting the incoming bullets, causing the blade and his hair to flash red from each impact. Adam charged at her and he jumped up in the air, launching the arcs of red at her repeatedly. He then threw Wilt and it spun through the air like it was a huge fan blade, slicing across her red aura, then it stabbed down into the ground, and he slammed the huge Scabbard against the side of Pyrrha’s head, and grabbed Wilt from the ground, twisting round and swinging it round into her Shield.

He grabbed her shield and threw it aside, but she pulled it back with her Polarity, and threw it right back into his face. Adam grunted as he staggered back, but he charged at her once again, firing at her hand which blew Milo from her hand. He jumped up into the air and he brought the long red blade down towards her head, until she held it back with her Polarity, gritting her teeth back at the lunatic’s smile.

Away from the battle of the Redheads, Weiss formed a Glyph which allowed her to blast towards Hazel, she spun like a corkscrew and she slashed Myrtenaster with great force across his side. Hazel grunted as she cut through him but he caught her by her long tail of white hair and he slammed her down into the ground with a bellow. He swung down at where her head was, but she slid across the floor thanks to her Glyph, then she blasted at him and she jabbed her sword into his chest repeatedly.

What confused her was the fact that he did not even seem to have an aura, because her stabs went into him, but he did not even react to the attacks. It was like she was stabbing a false organism, he felt nothing whatsoever from her attacks, so she jumped back and she formed more Glyphs, blasting icicles at him. They exploded against his body and he staggered back, ripping the fabric from his shirt off. She could see some of his wounds formed heal up, so there must be some kind of aura… but her attacks could not be stopped by it.

Hazel cracked his neck with a growl, as he pulled the Fire Dust Crystals from his bags and stabbed them into his arms. He howled at her, the flames burned through his arms and chest, igniting him from the inside out, and yet he somehow survived the procedure of doing so. He slammed both his fists into the ground, which launched molten rock out from the ground, and the sand froze into glass around her. Weiss leapt up in the air, bouncing up her Glyphs to avoid the spires of glass and shells of molten stone that came up towards her.

“All you had to do was give up the boy!” Hazel yelled at her, turning as he saw Jaune blocking the stab from Fennec, and Blake swung round and kicked Corsac in the chest with both boots. Hazel growled and clenched his hands into fists, and he sprinted towards Jaune, and he reached out for him. He grabbed Jaune by the back of the head and lifted him off the floor, turning to try and escape, until Blake jumped at Hazel and slashed her blade across the side of his face. Hazel grunted, dropping Jaune to the ground, and he rolled away from him, keeping his shield up.

“What the hell’s wrong with these guys?” Jaune yelled, still confused of why they wanted him in the first place.

“Your Rightful Queen demands your presence, and I will not fail her.” Hazel snarled viciously, and he reached out for her once more, until ice formed around his legs. He grunted and turned, seeing Weiss come flying towards him, stabbing Myrtenaster straight through his chest. She stared right at him, then her eyes widened, as he did not even react to it – she stabbed him straight through the heart, and he did not die – he did not even flinch. He grabbed her by the throat and swung round, throwing her through one of the houses.

Hazel ripped his boot from the ground and turned away from where Weiss was, until the tail of a Queen Lancer stabbed straight through him, he grunted and stared down at his abdomen, seeing the glowing white barb protruding through his body, before it pulled him away, right back into the building Weiss was inside of. Weiss had improved on using her Summoning incredibly in the four years, and had killed many terrifying Creatures of Grimm along the way.

Hazel slammed into the ground, growling as he stood back up, looking around as the ground erupted and the glowing white Queen Lancer rose from beneath him, with Weiss atop it, she ran her Fire Dust Coated Finger down the straight blade of Myrtenaster, staring down at him. “You are not taking my friend!” Weiss yelled, as she blasted flaming missiles down upon Hazel.

Fennec sprinted towards Jaune and he jumped up in the air, spiralling through the air with his dual daggers held in his hands, slamming them repeatedly against his shield. The metallic prangs bounced off the strikes, and then he blasted fireballs from the blades. Jaune kept them back and he swung Crocea Mors towards him, which Fennec blocked with both blades. But Jaune had learned how to fight better, thanks to Pyrrha. He slammed his knee into Fennec’s chest and smashed his shield into his head as well. The Fox Eared Faunus grunted, getting thrown back from the Arc Boy’s strike, crashing into the baskets of fruits and vegetables.

Jaune stabbed down at Fennec, but he kicked the blade which made him stagger, and he jumped onto his back, kicking him in the back of the head as he flipped off him, landing on the ground. Fennec grinned sinisterly as he blasted wind at him from his other blade, which pushed Jaune against the wall, and Fennec threw the other which pinned Jaune to the wall, by his Hood. Fennec sprinted towards him and he pushed the blade of his dagger against Jaune’s throat, holding him there with gritted teeth.

“Our Queen will not be left disappointed, come now… and we promise this will be over as soon as possible.” Fennec told him.

“Y’know… you guys really need to work on your persuasive skills.” Jaune chuckled, as he smashed his head into Fennec’s face. The Monk staggered back, and Blake suddenly swung into him, slamming both her feet into his head, sliding across the ground. She ran to Jaune and pulled the blade from his hood, and immediately turned to stop Corsac’s attacks, holding him back.

Blake smashed her knee up into his crotch, bringing him down to one knee, before she turned and roundhouse kicked him in the head, knocking him down to the ground. Jaune stood beside Blake as the Albains got back up. “These two are really annoying me right now, Blake, not gonna lie.” He stated.

“I know what you mean.” Blake agreed.

Pyrrha kept on fighting Adam in the Marketplace, throwing Akoúo at him and launching Milo straight into his chest. His aura protected him but it launched him across the battlefield. She pulled her spear right back and transformed it into her Rifle Form, firing it over and over again. Adam blocked the incoming bullets with Wilt, and he jumped up in the air and stabbed the blade into the ground, blasting a wave of red energy through the ground at her. Pyrrha gasped, her eyes widened and she jumped backwards, landing a safe distance from the attack, but as she landed, she did not notice that she landed right next to a scaffolding. Adam fired Blush and the bullet blew the support apart, and it started to topple down towards a bunch of civilians.

Pyrrha gasped, her eyes widened and she caught the falling scaffolding with her Polarity, but she realised too late that this was a distraction. Adam knew he would not be able to beat Pyrrha one against one, so he ran straight past her and he sprinted towards Blake. “BLAKE! RUN!” Pyrrha yelled, Blake gasped and turned, staring to see Adam charging towards her, but as Adam got closer, suddenly a Whip caught Blake and pulled her away from them all.

Adam stopped and he stared at where she was being pulled, and saw that it was Ilia. She was still too low on aura, and so was Blake from her fight against the Albains and their constant barrage. Adam flinched when he heard the sound of more gunfire behind him, turning to see the Black Gallows attacking his Feral Forces, starting a full scale battle behind them. But Adam did not care, he went to chase after the two of them, but Hazel grabbed his shoulder, hard. “Enough of this! She is not our target!” Hazel yelled, but Jaune, Pyrrha and Weiss took this opportunity to retreat as well. “Damn you!” Hazel yelled, punching Adam in the face in anger. “Find them!” Hazel bellowed.

Blake and Ilia ran as fast as they could from the battle. “Ilia? What are you doing here?” Blake asked her as they both ran from the Albains who were chasing them, sprinting and vaulting over the cars.

“Adam was freed by those people! He killed Sienna! We need to get the hell out of Vacuo!” Ilia yelled, but as she and Blake ran across the road, suddenly a missile exploded against a car, blocking their path. Blake turned and grabbed Ilia’s hand, and they both ran into the alleyway that connected into a small road between them. But as they ran, they stopped and their eyes widened.

They were at a dead end.

“Crap! We need to get out of here!” Blake cried out, but as they turned – the Albains were stood right behind them. Their blades were held in their grasp and they walked towards them. They were not strong enough to take them on.

“Kill the Chameleon Faunus, immobilise Belladonna. Let Adam have his fun with her.” Fennec ordered, and Corsac smirked in agreement.

They walked towards them and Blake aimed Gambol Shroud in its Magnum Form and she pulled the trigger… but she was out of ammo. “Shit…” She stammered.

The two of them walked closer and closer, until suddenly the roar of a car engine grew louder and louder. Fennec gasped and he spun around with his brother. Corsac got smashed by the car that roared in from out of nowhere and he rolled across the roof, crashing down into the ground behind it, whilst Fennec was crushed against the wall, killed instantly, his blood splattered across the wall.

Blake gasped, her eyes were wide with shock, and the door opened. A woman shrouded in a hooded cloak emerged, staggering out as she picked up a pistol and walked towards the barely alive Corsac Albain. Blood leaked from his mouth and all his limbs were snapped. He reached up at her… and he choked. “How…”

Bang.

Blood splattered across the floor and she holstered the pistol, Ilia and Blake stared at the woman with disbelief. She had killed both the Albains in seconds with a perfect ambush. “Who are you?” Ilia asked.

She pulled back the hood and stared at her.

“Run.” Sienna ordered again, somehow… alive…

 

 


	24. Not Dead Yet

**Sienna**

“Sienna!” Ilia screamed, until a shotgun round suddenly shot into her aura protected body, knocking her onto the ground. Hazel glared at her and he calmed his rage down, pulling the dust crystals from his arms and shoving them back into his pockets. His body returned back to its normal size, and Sienna reached out for her Chained Whip.

Adam walked towards her, and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the floor as she gasped for air. “I’ve been waiting for this.” Adam snarled.

“You are… a disgrace… to us all!” Sienna defiantly barked at him, until suddenly he drove Wilt straight through her heart. She gasped in pain, feeling the red blade puncture her heart, and blood poured from her wound. She stared at Ilia and let out one last beg.

“Run…” She weakly rasped, until Adam pushed her from the blade, and swung round, slitting her throat. Blood sprayed from her neck, and she fell to her knees. She bled to death on her knees, and when she fell, she did not fall to the ground, and remained upright. Until Adam kicked her corpse to the ground with a maniacal smirk on his face, her blood on his hand.

“NOOO!” Ilia wailed, and Adam stared at her, and he walked towards her as well. Ilia remembered Sienna’s last words.

_Run…_

And that was what she did, she stood up and she ran, ran as fast as she could. Adam did not pursue, he just watched as she fled.

“Shall we go after her?” Fennec asked Hazel, but he just stared at her body and he sighed.

“Go.” The gruff voiced man ordered, they both turned and chased after her. Adam walked over Sienna’s lifeless body on the ground, and he approached the throne with a savage smirk on his face. “It was not supposed to be like this.” He stated, as he opened his journal, and wrote down two more names onto the list of people he has killed – so then he could never forget.

_White Fang Prison Guard x 3_

_White Fang Honour Guards x 3_

_Sienna Khan_

There were many more, and those he knew the names for he wrote them all – he never forgot any of them. Because he never _wanted_ to kill… but if he had to… he would.

All for Salem.

“Yes it was… you have no idea… how good it felt to do that.” Adam sinisterly laughed as he sat down on the throne, taking the mask from his face, staring at the White Fang Markings.

He then tightened his grip on it, and crushed it into dust, the fractured remains fell upon the floor.

“Nobody needed to die today.” Hazel sighed, walking away from Adam as they headed for the exit of the White Fang Vacuo H.Q.

Adam turned to the throne and he smirked, slashing the blade through Sienna’s throne, destroying it. “Oh… I disagree.” Adam laughed, before he turned and walked away from the throne… leaving her body behind.

The White Fang meant nothing to Adam now…

… just another enemy that must be vanquished.

Her body was cold as she laid on the ground, the blood leaked from her mouth endlessly and from her neck. Adam stared at her body and he smirked, standing up as he walked over to her. He knew he had to leave and help Hazel, he made a deal with him – and they could make Blake and Humanity pay.  He stared at her and he spat on her body as he walked over her corpse, and walked down the steps as he kicked her down them, she tumbled down each hard step before she came to a stop at the bottom.

He walked away and did not say a word, leaving the body of the High Leader behind. Sienna remained there, alone and cold as she bled. But then… her wounds closed slowly, her throat seemed to fuse back together and so did the hole through her stomach where Adam had stabbed her. The blood stained her clothes as she laid there… and then her heart began to beat.

She did not come back to life immediately, it took a second for her brain to reactivate, and then she gasped loudly. Her eyes focused as life reanimated in them, and she grabbed her throat immediately. The pain was still there even now, gasping as she touched the new scar where her open wound closed. She rolled onto her front and she winced in pain, pressing her other hand to her stomach. She stared at the whole in her shirt where the blood was spilled, still sticking to her bronze skin.

She groaned as she slowly sat up, the pain slowly began to fade as she reached out across the floor and grasped onto her chains, pulling it back to her body as she laid there, disgusted by the blood that was still warm, sticking her clothing to her body. “Gods… one more down… not many left… get off your ass!” Sienna yelled at herself, she pushed her body back up off the floor and she limped across the ground. She stumbled past the cracked wall where Hazel had slammed her into, and she could see the remains of the Honour Guards who Adam wiped out. Some of them were just ashes on the ground, reduced to matter from the Moonslice he used on them.

_This was what he has become… because of me._

_I was so stupid, so stupid to think that this wouldn’t happen. I thought his time in that cell would have helped him learn from his sins, but it has just made him even more of a monster._

_What have I done?_

_This is my fault…_

_Adam is a monster of my making, I need to stop him._

_Before anyone else dies._

Sienna walked away from the destroyed High Leader Throne that Adam left behind, she held her stomach as if her guts were hanging out, because that was how it felt. Her intestines and stomach were still healing from what Adam did to her, and her voice was barely functioning from the damage.

Sienna approached her office, and she fell down to the ground, coughing up the blood that was still in her mouth. It splattered onto the ground, her lungs felt like they were on fire, but she had felt this agony before. She pushed her hand against her knee, her chains wrapped around that forearm. She grabbed onto the table and stood tall, turning to see her new clothes she was going to choose.

She grabbed her undercover gear, which was made up of a dark brown hooded cloak, a black Special Ops vest like Ilia’s and black combats, alongside a pair of White Fang Military Boots. She removed her clothes, revealing her naked body covered in scars. There were many different scars on her Tiger Stripes that wrapped around her curvy and muscular body. She had many stab wounds and slash marks, alongside what looked like a bite scar on her throat from something, alongside some kind of dark bruising around her throat that never faded. It was no longer trapped blood, just a mark to remember it by.

She pulled the new shirt over her nearly closed wound after she washed the blood off in the shower, drying herself off. She zipped the rig over her body and pulled the trousers up her legs, buttoning them up. She put on her boots and then wrapped her body up in the cloak, picking up the one Pistol that was left behind, clipping the belt and holster around her rounded waist.

Sienna had more secrets that she was letting on, and perhaps… this was not the first time she died.

Which begged the question… how?

**Blake**

Sienna’s fiery tigress eyes stared at Ilia and Blake, Ilia was more shocked than her friend was who was staring straight back with total disbelief. “S-Sienna?” Ilia stammered. “B-But… he killed you…”

“What?” Blake questioned with confusion.

“Enough talk, come on! We need to keep moving, the Albains had more people with them!” Sienna ordered as she grabbed them and pulled them both up. The chains fell from her concealed forearm and she turned, swinging it as she walked. The three of them walked through the alleyway and they exited the darkness. Sienna looked around and her pointed Tiger Ears heard the sound of more Feral Ones charging towards their location.

Sienna stared at them as they barged through the crowd, and some of them had melee weapons. Axes, swords and knives, and the others have Firearms. One of them aimed his shotgun at them and he pumped it, Sienna glanced at both Ilia and Blake. “How’s your aura level?” She asked them both, and they both checked their scrolls, they were currently in the orange and needed more time before they were in the green. However that did not mean they could not risk fighting against these soldiers.

“Orange.” Blake answered.

“Alright, be careful then.” Sienna commanded, she spun her linked chains round, and then she sprinted towards the soldier with the shotgun. She dropped down and slid under the firing shrapnel that shot from the barrel. She swung her chains across the Feral One’s legs, tripping him over as he fell, then she sprung up in the air and slammed her knee up the other’s jaw. Saliva sprayed from his mouth as he yelled out in pain, staggering back as she twisted round in the air and slammed her chain down his back. He yelled in agony and fell to the ground and she landed on both boots.

The soldiers sprinted at her, and she ducked under the oncoming swing from a Feral One who wielded a machete. “Die coward!” The Feral One howled. He had curved goat horns and wore some kind of modified version of the White Fang Mask, and instead of the white and read markings of the Grimm, they were black steel forged masks that hard sharp horns that protruded from the upper corners. The Faunus gritted his teeth as he forced the machete towards Sienna, who caught his wrist with he hands, stopping the blade from hitting her neck.

“Coward? I’ve died more times for the White Fang than anyone!” She yelled, she swung her leg underneath his other leg which knocked him onto the ground. He slammed onto the floor with a grunt but rolled aside as Sienna brought her boot down where his head was. But one of the bigger Faunus, a Hippo Faunus, tackled her to the ground. He slammed her against the floor, and the overweight man punched down at her face, hitting her over and over again, but she kicked both her boots into his chest, and then wrapped those legs around his head. She twisted round and she struck her elbow down onto his head over and over again, but the Feral One carried her and smashed her through one of the Market Stalls.

The Stall shattered around her but she flipped backwards, she was elegant with her movements and could move like a ballerina. She twirled round and yelled, launching one of her dust blades towards the soldier. He grunted as it exploded against his chest, throwing him back. He crashed into one of the cars, and she swung across the Marketplace towards him and she took both her boots and pummelled them into his chest. The door of the car bent inwards with a deafening bang, twisting metal and shattering the glass.

The Hippo Faunus grabbed the much smaller woman with his huge hands and he started to crush her in his huge arms, she gasped for air, determined to not die again. But Ilia suddenly sent a shock round from her Whip that electrocuted the Faunus, his skeleton flashed within his body as the energy coursed through his body. He screamed in pain and Sienna kicked herself off the massive Faunus’ body, she turned and slashed the long chain of metal across his face, so hard that his mask flew from his face. The Feral One Mask bounced and scraped across the road.

Sienna Khan landed on the ground and she rolled towards him, and jumped over his head, throwing her chain which wrapped around her throat. She landed behind him and pulled him down to the ground with great force, smashing him against the ground. The ground cracked from his huge body as it hit the ground, finally beaten by the skilled Faunus Woman. She stood tall, and she turned with gritted teeth, she swung back and forth, blocking the incoming bullets from another Faunus who had a Submachine Gun. The bullets flew towards her but she blocked every single one, and then she rushed towards him, firing her Pistol right back.

The bullet punctured into the soldier’s arm and he grunted in pain, firing again at her, but she slid underneath one of the cars, her body was slender enough to fit underneath it. She threw herself at the soldier and she wrapped her chains around the gun, and she swung it round and shattered it across the Feral One’s face. The titanium exploded against him, snapping the metal instantly from the impact, shards of metal fell and bounced across the ground. Sienna’s attack almost knocked the Feral One unconscious, he fell to the floor but scrambled back to his feet and he drew his baton and struck her across the jaw. She caught his arm with the chain on the second strike, and she yanked him towards her, and punched him down to the ground.

He fell to the floor, unconscious and down for the count. Sienna panted in exhaustion as she pulled her chains back round her arm, and she looked around, Another charged at her, until Blake suddenly jumped towards him and slammed into his side. Ilia did the same, slashing her electrified whip around the woman who was going to stab Sienna with a sword. The two Feral Ones began fighting the Huntresses. Blake backflipped suddenly, and she slammed both her feet up the jaw of the Wolf Faunus, who barked from the attack.

He staggered back and snarled, his sharp teeth snapped together as he jumped and grabbed her. He smashed her head down into the floor and he went to bite down on her neck, but she vanished into another shadow. The Wolf Feral One looked around with confusion, until Blake slashed Gambol Shroud across his back. He yelled in pain as the Katana cut across his leather armour they had fashioned from hunting the beasts of the land. The Wolf turned and drew his axe, and went to bury it into Blake’s sternum, but she vanished again and kicked him in the spine. He staggered away from her, and stared at the Huntress who stood tall, her long raven black hair blew in the wind.

Bright amber eyes were like daggers as they burned into his.

“You betrayed us… you joined the Humans!” The Feral One yelled with anger.

“I didn’t betray anyone, Adam used the White Fang for his own gain. You’re fighting for a madman!” Blake argued.

“There can never be peace between Humans and Faunus… we are two species at war… and only one survives.” The Feral One growled, he spun his axe through his fingers and then he yelled, charging towards Blake and he slams the axe at her head, only for her to vanish, using her Shadows to trick him. He turns and immediately collides his axe into the blade of Gambol Shroud, but she twists the blade round and pulls his axe from his grasp. She jumped and brought her heel down as she flipped through the air, knocking him unconscious.

He crashed down to the ground and reached out for his axe, until Blake kicked him in the nose so hard he was completely knocked unconscious. He laid there, out of action, and Blake stared down at the Feral One. “What the hell is this? White Fang Fanatics?” Blake wondered, she turned and heard the sound of Ilia fighting against the woman.

The Feral One leapt at the young Chameleon Faunus who bravely stood her ground, and she cartwheeled out of the attackers path. The Feral One stabbed her dual knives into the ground and then she rushed forward, slashing them both repeatedly at Ilia, who blocked and parried her incoming blows with her long electrified whip, sparks of electricity erupted from every single strike. The sparks bounced across the floor, then she jabbed forward at the Feral One, stabbing her shoulder, but she did not stop, she did not back down. The Feral One kicked Ilia in the chest and rushed her again, slashing her blades across Ilia’s aura. She yelled in pain as the aura healed the previous wounds instantly, and she jumped and bounced off the wall behind her.

She grabbed the fighter by her long green hair, throwing the Lizard Faunus across the street and straight through a parked Motorcycle. The bike fell over with a bang, and she spun her Whip through her fingers, and the Feral One stabbed at her. Ilia wrapped her whip around her arm and electrified her. She yelled in agony as the high voltage coursed through her body, causing her to release her knives. Ilia finished her off with one brutal slam down to the ground, head first into the concrete floor. The Feral One was out, and she sighed with relief, turning with a smile to see Blake was okay.

But they did not have time for a reunion.

It was clear that Adam did not retreat like Hazel commanded him to, because they saw Pyrrha get thrown straight through a bus that was driving across the road. She tumbled across the street and drove Milo into the ground, staring through the hole in the bus. And Adam leapt through it towards her with a roar, he spun through the air and threw Wilt towards her, but Pyrrha blocked the attack with Akoúo. The sword bounced off and stabbed down into the ground, and Adam kept charging towards her, grabbing the hilt and swinging it round. His hair glowed a bright red as he sent an arc of red energy towards her.

The attack blasted her across the ground again, but she spun Milo through her fingers, transforming it into Rifle Form and firing it repeatedly at him. “Adam! Fall back! NOW” Hazel bellowed, but the deranged Faunus just smirked, staring at a human that he so desperately wanted to kill. But he double took and saw Blake stood there, her eyes were wide with fear again, something she could not help herself but feel.

All those buried memories of how he abused her, manipulated her, made her think she loved him.

When in reality, it was all a farce.

One more illusion.

One more shadow.

Adam snarled and Hazel clenched his fists tighter, he went to stop Adam until he turned and saw Weiss suddenly blast right into his side. They both crashed through the shop next to them, the windows shattered and the aisles of goods toppled over. Weiss jumped off the massive man’s body and she slid across the ground, driving Myrtenaster into the tiles. Hazel stood tall with a growl, still with Fire Dust stabbed into his arms. That was when he changed things up, pulling more dust crystals from his pouches. “I do not wish to kill you, Schnee.” Hazel told her.

“Funny, you know my name. I don’t remember telling you that.” Weiss said to him.

“You needn’t, everyone knows who you are as soon as they look at you.” Hazel told her, and she smiled.

“Is that a compliment?” She asked.

“Take it however you please… just give up the boy.” Hazel demanded.

“Why? Why do you want Jaune?” Weiss questioned, but Hazel did not answer that question, he just stabbed the golden electricity dust crystals into his arms next to the fire ones. The lightning coursed through his muscles and he bellowed with rage as the energy moved through his veins. He stared into her eyes with anger.

“Last… chance.” He warned, but Weiss spun her sword through her fingers and she smiled, he turned and heard the sound of Jaune appearing behind him with Crocea Mors and his Shield ready. Then Akoúo flew in and Pyrrha jumped through the shattered window.

“You wanna get to Jaune, then you have to get through all of us.” Pyrrha warned, and Hazel looked back at Weiss, and he yelled with fury. He charged towards her and he jumped up in the air, and slammed both his fists into the ground. The action created a powerful and electrical explosion with fire shattering the tiles that they stood upon. Weiss leapt up with her Glyphs sticking her to the roof, and she shot down towards him. She blasted powerful energy into him, concussive in force which pushed the Child of Salem away from them. He staggered away from her and she shot forward, only for Hazel to catch her by the neck and he swung round, throwing her into the wall.

Akoúo bounced into the side of his head and he grunted, staggering against one of the shelves as Pyrrha jumped at him. She pounded both feet into his wide chest which crushed the aisles to the ground. She aimed Milo at his head with gritted teeth but she hesitated, kind hearted in nature, which was a costly mistake. He channelled the electricity from their housings in the crystals and he blasted the arcs of light into her chest, which smashed her against the ceiling, causing the lights to flicker as dust fell from the ceiling.

Jaune turned as he heard the nearby gunfire from the battling Feral Ones and Black Gallows nearby, Winter was close, he knew it. But as Hazel stood up, and the others were currently down, it was up to him. Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors into his Shield as he stared at Hazel, and as the sword and Shield combined, he drew it and they both extended into its Bastard Sword form. But there was another secret upgrade his sword had that Weiss gave him in the four years they had been friends…

… he pressed a button in the hilt, and the plates opened, revealing a similar rotating chamber of dust cartridges inside just like Myrtenaster’s. It landed on fire dust, and the entire blade suddenly ignited with flames, and Jaune smirked as he stared Hazel down. The massive Brute’s eyes widened with surprise, as Jaune yelled and swung the sword horizontally, blasting a powerful arc of fire into his chest. Hazel grunted as he was sent flying through the aisles, toppling them over and crashing on the other side.

Weiss smirked as she stood up, nodding to Jaune. The Arc Huntsman walked towards Hazel as he stood up. “You want me? Here I am, come get me.” Jaune growled, and Hazel yelled demonically as he sprinted towards him, smashing through the aisles as he got closer and closer, but Jaune stopped the incoming fist with the burning blade, and he pushed against him. Pyrrha suddenly jumped over Jaune and threw Akoúo at Hazel’s face, which collided into his eyes and knocked him back with a grunt. Pyrrha vaulted over her boyfriend and kicked Hazel in the chest, giving Jaune the chance to swing the burning blade of Crocea Mors across Hazel’s chest, and Weiss fired icicles that punctured into his body but they melted from the heat that he had accumulated from that fire dust.

Jaune, Pyrrha and Weiss ran straight at the Hulking Warrior, who raised his fists, and charged at them as well.

Blake on the other hand stopped Wilt as it collided into her Katana, the attack was so aggressive and sudden that it brought her down to one knee. She gasped as the glowing red blade pushed closer and closer towards her neck, until suddenly Sienna’s chain wrapped around her throat. She gasped for air as Sienna pulled him away from her and he spun round, his eyes widened with disbelief as he saw her stood there. Alive and aiming that pistol right at his head. “How the hell…” Before he could finish she was already firing shot after shot at him, not missing once, but his glowing red aura protected him from being killed instantly from the blows. He drew Wilt and started to block the incoming blows with gritted teeth.

“Did you think it would be that easy, you son of a bitch?” She yelled, as she threw another explosive blade from her chain, which activated as it corkscrewed towards him. He grunted as it exploded in front of him, throwing him across the street, he stabbed Wilt into the ground to control his descent, swiftly sheathing it again as he contained the energy from the attack. Blake smiled as he saw Ilia and Sienna stand beside her, so she stood tall as well and she held Gambol Shroud tight.

Her fear of Adam was waning, now that she knew he was released… she had time to focus on the fact she needed to be put away again. Adam rose up once more as he held the hilt of Wilt, staring at the three of them. “I should have executed you when I had the chance.” Sienna growled, and he chuckled.

“Yeah, maybe you should’ve.” He replied with that cocky grin on his face.

“Stop this Adam… we have bigger problems than you.” She told him, and he scoffed.

“You think I care? You think I give a damn about Faunus Rights anymore? Following your rules is what got me in that cell!” He yelled at them all, specifically Sienna who stared him down with that Pistol still aimed at his head. “Oh no… I’m doing it my way now. To hell with the White Fang. To hell with Humanity. To hell with you, Blake. I’m gonna let _her_ do the leading from now on.”

“Her?” Ilia questioned, but Blake had heard that name before. Ironwood mentioned her, and the Praetorian Knight mentioned a Queen. There was only one individual he could be talking about.

“Salem? Is that who you’re talking about?” She questioned. “What does she want?”

“A better world… but to build it… it can only be done through blood.” He replied, and suddenly he drew Wilt and leapt straight for them, his hair began to glow a bright red, and suddenly as he swung horizontally, three dark red shadows of himself burst from his aura, slashing at her as well. Blake vanished, using her Semblance to her advantage to avoid the attack. Adam jumped and he threw his sword straight at them, and Ilia deflected the attack, which caused the sword to be buried into the ground. Adam fired Blush repeatedly, round after round, and then he grabbed Wilt, slashing it at them once again. But Sienna jumped at Adam and kicked him across the jaw, and belted her chain across his cheek, which knocked him back but he kept slashing at her.

Sienna walked towards him, spinning her chain and throwing those dustless blades repeatedly at him, one of them stabbed right into his leg but he ripped it out, allowing for his aura to repair the damage. Sienna roared with anger, jumping and wrapping the chains around his throat, trying to crush his windpipe, but he kicked her in the back of the leg and he grabbed the back of her head, and he pulled her head back with great force. She cried out in pain, desperately trying to hang on, until he went to behead her this time.

That was when she released the chains, rolling out of the way, and Adam could finally breathe again. He turned as Ilia and Blake both went for the attack, Blake fired Gambol Shroud multiple times at him, which lead to him deflecting them with Wilt’s Blood Red Blade. But then Ilia kicked at his blade and she flipped back, and started slashing her long electrified whip over and over again at him, dodging the incoming blade that he slashed at her. He sheathed it and suddenly drew it again, throwing an arc of red energy into her body, Ilia yelped as the attack threw her to the ground.

Blake threw her Grappling Hook which connected to one of the traffic lights, and she swung round towards Adam and slammed Gambol down towards him. Her Sheath collided into Wilt, and he stared up at her with rage in those broken eyes of his. The impact threw Blake up into the air, and Adam jumped after for her, slashing her Aura repeatedly. He kicked her down to the ground and she crashed through a car. He dropped down and drove his sword straight through her eye, only for her body to vanish once again. He yelled with anger, looking for her, and she suddenly kicked him in the face again.

Sienna and Ilia both sprinted towards Adam, and he blocked Sienna’s whiplash attack, the many sharp pieces inside of that chain dragged across the blade of Wilt, and he fired at Ilia who cartwheeled once again, just dodging the incoming bullet. Blake vaulted the car and punched Adam in the face, before she went on the offensive, screaming as she slammed her much shorter Katana against his sword. He blocked her strikes and kicked her in the chest, going for her again, until Sienna drop kicked him through one of the stores. The stall shattered around him, and Sienna grabbed a frying pan that was hanging from one of the displays and smashed it into his face. Adam grunted, staggering back as Ilia fired an electrocuting shot into his arm, and Blake jumped towards him.

He swung at her, but she cast a shadow, with some fire dust that Weiss helped her upgrade with. The fire ignited in the shadow and exploded, throwing the Psychopath into the side of a mail van. The Van crashed onto its side with a deep impression inside of it where Adam had slammed into it. He jumped out from it and he partially drew Wilt from Blush with a growl, the red energy coursed through him as he stared at the three of them. “Look out!” Blake screamed as she pushed them all down, and she vast her Shadow.

She just avoided Moonslice as Ilia kicked a Motorcycle with all her might, and the blade cut it clean in two. The attack also caused the bike to shatter and dissolve into dust.

Back inside of the Supermarket…

Hazel caught Akoúo as it flew towards him and he slammed it against the floor with a growl, only for Pyrrha to lift up one of the steel shelves and launching it straight at him. Hazel growled and clenched his fist, punching through the shelf as his fire dust turned his blow into an explosive attack, and he jumped towards them, smashing his fist into the ground with great force. The attack shattered more tiles and fire erupted through the ground, Jaune switched Dusts and he changed to wind.

He swung Crocea Mors with great force, and that sent a huge gust of wind that slammed into Hazel, pushing him across the ground. He held his huge hand up, blocking the gale that was slamming into his body, but as he held himself there, Weiss zoomed towards him on one of her Glyphs, and she thrusted herself forward, blasting the Unnatural Human against the wall. She shot forward and stabbed right into his chest, but even then… there was no reaction whatsoever. At this point she did not even think he was alive, that was through his heart and nothing even seemed to bother him.

He punched Weiss in the belly so hard that the electricity shot into her aura, throwing her through the shelves, and her aura crackled. Jaune’s eyes widened and he ran over to her, and he started using his Semblance on her. “Hold on Weiss, I got ya.” Jaune assured, slowly bringing her aura back, Pyrrha turned and she grit her teeth as Hazel paced back and forth, waiting for her to make her attack.

“Come on!” Hazel yelled, and caught Pyrrha by the throat and slammed her down into the ground again, he pulled his fist back and went to pummel her in the face, but she reached out to the wall and pulled a piece of metal from the concrete. The rebar snapped and shot out, stabbing straight through Hazel’s shoulder, he stumbled off her and she gasped, catching her breath as her polarity called Milo and Akoúo back to her hand. She stared through her red hair that fell over her eyes, blowing it out from her gaze.

Suddenly the lights and power in the supermarket started to drain, and she saw Hazel stand back up, channelling the electricity into her body. He howled with anger and he punched his fists forward and she gasped, lifting her shield up, only for all that electricity to collide into her. The impact threw her through the window which shattered, crashing against one of the cars with a groan.

Jaune’s eyes widened when he heard Hazel walking towards him whilst he helped Weiss boost back up. Jaune grabbed Crocea Mors and with a yell he slammed the burning blade across Hazel’s head. Hazel staggered back and he charged towards him, bringing his fist down at his head, only for Jaune to hold the sword up, stopping his massive fist from getting any closer. Jaune grit his teeth as he held the hulking man back, until Jaune smirked, and he raised a brow.

He turned and his eyes widened.

“Back off.” Winter growled, she formed her Glyph and shot straight at him and blasted him through the building. The wall collapsed as he bounced across the road on the other side. Winter turned to Jaune and Weiss who was getting back up. “Are you okay?” She asked her baby sister and she nodded her head.

“That guy… I’ve never seen anything like it… he’s not human, he can’t be. I stabbed him in the heart, I didn’t want to… but it didn’t do anything. He never felt a thing from any of our attacks, and it looked like he was built… out of body parts.” Weiss stammered, Winter looked at Jaune for confirmation and he nodded. That was exactly what he looked like, Pyrrha pulled her body from the car and she limped over to them, needing her aura back up as well.

“Good thing I got here then.” Winter sighed with relief. “What about Adam?” She asked.

“Oh crap, Blake!” Jaune realised, knowing it was just her against Adam… well not just her.

Blake aimed her Pistol attached to Gambol Shroud at Adam, he was weaker… barely hanging onto his aura. But he did not look like he was backing down, Ilia and Sienna were ready to attack but they never knew if that was the right idea. But as they stood there, Adam turned and Hazel suddenly erupted out and he grabbed him by his shoulder. “Get off me!” Adam yelled with anger.

But as they stood there, something exploded right at their feet, throwing them across the ground. Blake looked up with widened eyes as a huge Bullhead of some kind hovered towards the two of them. But it was far bigger than any Bullhead they had seen before, it had four huge thrusters and covered in armour plating. It also had some pretty formidable weaponry on it. As it descended, Hazel literally dragged Adam and threw him inside of it. The vehicle took off and there was a man inside, they did not recognise him, but he hard cold eyes and a thick black moustache.

They did not know it.

But that was Doctor Arthur Watts.

The Airship swiftly bugged out now that they had Adam, and left the Feral Ones to be picked off or to retreat from Vacuo. The gunfire had begun to die down, and Jaune walked over to them, helping Blake back up to her feet. “That man… he works for Salem, doesn’t he?” Blake asked him.

“That’s my guess.” Jaune agreed.

“And now they have Adam.” Sienna growled with anger.

Adam was out now, and he was on a warpath.

 

**Adam**

The massive Bullhead soared across the sky, high above the Deserts of Vacuo, passing over the Sea of Sand where the massive city was consumed by the Drought. Inside of the vehicle, Hazel punched Adam in the face extremely hard, knocking him down onto the deck of the aircraft. He stared up at the Abomination that stood above him with clenched fists, and Watts was stood there with crossed arms, and there was also Tyrian with his arms crossed. “I told you to fall back.” Hazel growled as he pressed his boot down on Adam’s chest.

“Get the hell off me.” Adam growled.

“I wouldn’t if I were you, boy.” Watts warned, and Tyrian sadistically laughed as he stood up, whilst Watts played with the Grave Dust that he modified, letting it float through his fingers.

“Oh please, do anger Mr Rainart. I would love to see what would be left.” He giggled disturbingly. Adam glared at Tyrian and then at Hazel, he leant his head against the titanium ground and he stood down, so Hazel took his boot from his chest as well.

“What that was? It was my business, not yours. You should not get involved in other people’s matters.” Adam warned, and Hazel stopped as Watts sat down.

“It’s _our_ business now. And I don’t appreciate you disobeying my commands like that. And believe me, if you disobey a direct order from our Queen? You will regret it.” He warned as he walked towards him.

“You were concerned about my dedication to your cause. As long as Blake Belladonna is alive, that will be my only concern.” He warned, and Watts chuckled, he stood up and he walked towards him, and the Grave Dust approached him.

“It really shouldn’t be, Mr Taurus. You have not met our master yet… you only met Cinder, and she was a traitor. What do you think she will do when she meets Cinder again for her transgressions against her?” Watts asked her, Adam stared at the swirling metallic dust controlled by electromagnetic energy.

“Kill her?” He assumed.

“Oh no… that would be too easy, dear boy. No… she will make you beg for death first.” Watts promised with a smirk, and then he looked at Tyrian. “And when she lets you die… you will beg to be spared.”

Tyrian giggled sinisterly, Adam was many things but stupid was not one of them. He knew that Tyrian enjoyed killing, killing people slowly especially. “So if I were you? I would learn to do as you are told.” Watts advised, he stood up and he let the Grave Dust return to the pack sat on one of the seats in the huge Bullhead. Watts walked back to the Cockpit and he sat down, taking it off Autopilot as he had them return back to the Sanctum.

“You have one more chance… do not fail her. Because Queen Salem does not broker failure.” Hazel warned as he extended his palm to him.

Adam took his hand and stood back up, nodding his head.

“I understand.” Adam agreed.

_But Blake… Blake is mine… and nothing will change that._

 

**Blake**

The Black Gallows were now in this District of Vacuo now, repairing the situation.

Ambulances and Firemen were everywhere, whilst the Police Force were arresting the remaining Feral Ones that they managed to take alive. Winter had her arms crossed as she stared at them as they were put inside of the Black Gallows Wasps. She turned as Dutch approached with a sigh. “Never a dull moment with you lot, is it?” Dutch asked with a chuckle, he looked at Sienna who was sat there, her chain tightly wrapped around her forearm.

“The Feral Ones. You know what they are?” Winter asked.

“I do, these ones we managed to stop? They’re only the start. They were soldiers in the White Fang, ones who could not live without the violence. Angry with Sienna over there for choosing the more diplomatic option over warfare. The two Fox Faunus we found dead in that alleyway? They were working for someone else, not sure who. But they were the ones that started this. I have a feeling that Adam and the rest of the Feral Ones will head to the many Penitentiaries across Remnant.” Dutch explained.

Sienna, Ilia and Blake stood up, walking over to Dutch as they overheard what he was saying. “What do you mean?” Sienna asked.

“There are a lot of Prisons that hold the crazier White Fang, ones from Mountain Glenn and even further. Freeing them will give the Feral Ones a lot more forces. And if those Albain Brothers were charismatic enough to turn those soldiers to their side? Then those prisoners will be easy pickings.” Dutch explained as he crossed his arms.

“Crap, the biggest one is in Atlas, isn’t it?” Ilia asked.

“It is, and you have the S.D.C Mines in Mantle as well. All those Faunus will be wanting a good fight for how they are treated. My guess is that they will go to Argus to get there, it’s the quickest route.” Dutch explained, and Sienna nodded her head. Blake pushed her hands through her hair. She let Ilia and Sienna talk with Dutch whilst Winter walked with her.

“This is bad…” Blake stammered.

“I know, but we need to focus on finding them. I’m not just talking about Jackdaw now, if Adam is back and seriously doing this? Then your friends are gonna be targets, they are all Human.” Winter reminded.

“I know… but they’re headed for the Anima Mountains, that could take ages to find them.” Blake said, as they spoke, Weiss stood up and walked over.

“Unless they are headed to Argus as well. We don’t know what information Malachite gave them before… whatever the hell it was that happened. What if we don’t try and search the Mountains? Head straight for Argus?” Weiss suggested, they looked at each other and Jaune scratched the back of his neck.

“And if they’re not?” Jaune asked.

“I mean… it’s Jackdaw. He’s leading them on some sort of breadcrumb trail. He’s ahead of them, we could go to Caroline Cordovin. She could help us track them down with her pull in Anima.” Weiss suggested, Winter groaned at the mere mention of her name.

“Cordo…” She groaned.

“Friend?” Pyrrha asked.

“Hardly.” She replied. “There’s a reason why we were all relieved when she was stationed away from Atlas.”

They chuckled at that one. “It’s possible though, she trusts me. Her help would definitely help us apprehend them. I just hope they don’t bring that damn Bandit Tribe all the way there.” She sighed.

“How do we get there?” Blake asked curiously.

“There’s the Argus Limited. It has a few stopping points on the way there, we could catch the train and make our way there through that. I don’t think going into Mistral is a good idea though, we don’t know how many of those Feral Ones are out there.” Jaune explained.

“So what do you propose?” She asked, so Jaune began to ponder.

“We take an Airship to Anima, we get as far from the main city as we can and we make our way to the nearest Station. Closest one to Argus is around fifty miles, there are a few farms on the way there. Nice people, should let us stay for the night in their Guest Houses.” Jaune explained.

“How do you know all this?” Winter curiously inquired.

“My sister, Saphron. She lives in Argus with her wife Terra-Cotta. I’ve visited her every now and then, normally I go from Mistral but I remember how many stations there are between there and Argus. There’re three, but that one is the closest. Just means we will need to be careful.” Jaune explained, Winter nodded her head. She was never against the idea of staying low profile, sometimes it was the safest option.

“Well it’s better than trudging through the mountains.” Weiss shrugged, and they nodded. Blake looked at Ilia and Sienna who were stood there, and they needed to get out of Vacuo fast. Blake approached them and she gently tapped Ilia’s shoulder.

“Hey, Guys…” She softly said.

“Hey, Blake.” She said, the others walked over out of curiosity. Ilia still was shocked and needed answers, and before Blake could even ask – she had to know.

“Sienna… I need to know… Adam seemed certain that he killed you, Ilia too… what the hell happened?” Blake asked, Sienna looked at Ilia and then the others. She sat down and she sighed, and pulled up her shirt, revealing the scar where Adam stabbed her, and then she lifted her head so the light could shine upon the scarring where her throat was cut open.

“I have a… rare Semblance. When I die, my wounds heal and I am reborn, depending on the severity. If I die from old age, or if I explode or lose my head? Then I can’t come back. But stabbings, disembowelling or others? My wounds heal and I am reborn… but it has a limit.” Sienna explained to them all, she smiled and chuckled. “I guess you could say I have Nine Lives. But now I only have four.”

Their eyes were wide with disbelief.

“You… can come back from the dead… nine times?” Pyrrha asked with shock.

“Depending on the severity of what killed me. Can’t come back if I’m a pile of ash.” Sienna shrugged her shoulders.

“If… you don’t mind my asking…” Jaune did not even have to ask, she already knew what he was gonna ask.

“My first death was from a Human. I was sixteen, and a gang of boys jumped me, and stabbed me to death in an alleyway. After that, I joined the White Fang and wanted Humanity to fear us, until I realised that solved nothing.” She revealed, showing the stab scars on her back, side and belly. “The second time, I was attacked by a Beowulf and it ripped out my neck.” She pointed to the side of her neck where there were deep teeth marks. “The third and fourth were actually one after the other. A White Fang soldier tried to poison me, and succeeded. I choked to death on the poison and died, but when I came back I tried to throw them up… but the poison killed me again. Two lives lost from one damn dose of poison.” Sienna scoffed, it actually sounded like it pissed her off as well.

“And the fifth… was Adam. He ran his sword through my gut and slit my throat. I only have four lives left, once I’m out? I’m gone.” Sienna concluded, this was not what they expected from her and it shocked Ilia.

But in away… she was relieved. Sienna was one of her best friends, like a mother figure in some ways – so not losing her that day was just another reason to be glad to have her there. “It’s my fault Adam is this way, I enabled his worst impulses, and I turned him into a monster. It’s my responsibility, and I need to get to Argus. I need to warn Cordovin, whether she likes me or not, that all the prisons that hold White Fang convicts need to be protected. The Feral Ones are not about to stop.” Sienna explained, they looked at each other, realising they all had the same place in mind.

“We’re headed there as well. Our friends; Ruby, Yang, Nora, Ren, Eryka and Qrow went Rogue. We got a tip they’re heading to the Mistraalian Mountains, but there is a station for the Argus Limited up there. We think they are gonna had to Argus at some point and we want to be ready for them. We could really use you help, and could help you along the way.” Blake suggested as she walked over to her.

“I do not want you involved in this Blake, you saw how he was. He’s obsessed.” Sienna warned.

“Trust me, I know. He made me believe I loved him for years, remember?” She asked her, Sienna sighed, knowing she was right.

“We can help each other… and… it’s been a while since we had a good mission together.” Ilia smiled and Blake smiled back. Sienna stared at the destruction caused by the Feral Ones and she sighed.

“Alright… we’ll go with you to Argus.” She agreed.

Sienna and Ilia were now on their party.

Winter approached Dutch and he looked at her. “We’re going to secure the situation here in Vacuo, and I need to be here to fill Killian in on what’s happened. He will be waking up soon.” Dutch said, and Winter nodded.

“Good luck, Dutch. We’re going to take one of the Airships to get to Anima as fast as we can. We can’t risk flying all the way there though. We don’t know what the Feral Ones could have out there. We need to keep a low profile.” Winter explained and he nodded.

“Then I wish you the best, Winter. I hope you find them, and sort this mess out.” Dutch said to her.

Winter nodded as she shook his hand.

The new team:

Jaune, Pyrrha, Weiss, Blake, Winter, Sienna and Ilia.

They were ready, and they headed to where the Black Gallows Airship was landed, and they now had a new location on their sights.

The Sleeping Angel of Remnant.

Argus.

 

 


	25. The Mistraalian Mountains

**Ruby**

The Mistraalian Mountains were a brutal change of surroundings from the Bandit Tribe.

It was quite cold in Anima, but up here? It was a totally different story. Not only was there snow and it was bitterly cold, but everyone felt as if they had run a mile. Oxygen was low in the air from the altitude that they were walking on. Eryka was one step ahead of them though, she had her own mask that helped her breathe in these harsher climates. She seemed to be at home here, she was basically trained up here in the mountains.

The calls of Eagles echoed across the summits, and Dulcis flew above them, the sunlight bled through his beautiful feathers as he glided around them. The sun was beginning to set as the day slowly came to a close, but they knew that as long as they followed the trail in the snow, they would find the Summit’s Claim.

Ruby shivered as she walked, they managed to purchase some warmer gear to move through the Mountains, since they had to go to Atlas anyhow, per Lil Miss Malachite’s information. But they really did not buy enough to feel comfortable in this weather. The wind howled as it blew the snow against their faces, tall trees covered the mountain’s sloping cliffs, branched weighed down from the layer of snow that fell on them. Ruby had a scarf around her neck that she hugged close to her face, and had fluffy gloves, boots and cloak around her outfit. Yang, Nora and Ren were the same.

Eryka walked with them, breathing through the Respirator she had with her, she took it off so she could speak to them. “You guys alright?” Eryka asked curiously.

“Mhm…” Ruby gently lied.

“Not cold?” Eryka asked, clearly able to tell that they were freezing, especially from their pink cheeks and noses.

“Nope… I’m sweating actually.” Yang lied as she shook her head, she tied her long blonde hair up into a long ponytail that blew in the wind. As Ren walked, he turned as one of the Bandits collapsed from the low oxygen levels. He helped him up to his feet, and they carried on, whilst Shay lingered behind them, staring straight at Eryka with distrust. He was a danger to them all, and they knew it, but he was a ruthless warrior and the Tribe needed him. Because if they exiled or killed him? The grunts would never listen to Raven ever again, they trusted Shay… and that worried her.

“There’s no point lying, living up here is tough. Not many people do, I guess it’s why the Vasillias Cartel came up here. Nobody would be mad enough to try and launch a full scale attack on their own turf.” Eryka said as she shrugged.

“Is that what we’re doing? Attacking the Vasillias Cartel?” Nora asked with concern, she looked at Vernal who had a big winter coat on over her body, whilst Cinder was wearing a soft poncho and a bandanna over her mouth to protect herself from the Mountain Cold.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that. My mother… she is many things but she is not heartless.” Eryka stated.

“She wiped out the Vacuo Mafia.” Ruby reminded, and she nodded her head in agreement.

“Yeah, she did. But she knows how important a child is to a mother… and by the looks of it… Cinder seems to feel that way about this kid.” Eryka stated, looking at Cinder.

They scoffed, all at the same time. “Forgive my disbelief.” Yang retorted, and Eryka nodded her head as she walked, easily moving through the snow, sticking to the rocks so then her boots did not sink and fall into the snow. She looked out at the horizon as the sun slowly descended towards the horizon, Ruby and Yang slowed down as they walked, and they looked at the Falconess. Dulcis circled over her head, and descended down onto her shoulder, chirping as they both looked out at the mountains.

Eryka exhaled, a cloud of mist trailed from her lips as she stared across the clouds. Ruby and Yang walked over to her as she stared at the distance. “Didn’t you say… Cinder went to school with you? Before the Vytal Festival?” Eryka asked the two of them, and Ruby looked at the Fall Maiden who trudged through the snow.

“Yeah… well… I don’t think I would call her a student. Cinder, Emerald and Mercury… they managed to trick the entry guidelines. I don’t agree with many things that Killian spouts… but that? Well, he’s right to improve the Entry Exams and stuff for the Academies.” Ruby admitted, Yang nodded her head in agreement.

“Yeah, if all he wanted was to fix that stuff? I’d be back at Beacon right now.” Yang admitted, and Eryka sighed.

“Yeah, well… guess Killian’s bitten off more than he could chew with us, huh?” Eryka chuckled.

“Yes he has.” Ruby giggled as she stood beside her, she smiled as Dulcis looked at her and she rubbed his head against her cheek. “Hey, Dulcis… you’re a cutie.” She cooed, stroking the soft feathers, he gently chirped as she gave him all the fuss he loved. Yang did the same, stroking his back with her cybernetic hand. Eryka smiled as she stood there, Shay walked past them and he chuckled.

“Well, ain’t that just adorable?” Shay said as he stared at them, Eryka glared at him with a clenched fist.

“Screw you, Shay.” Eryka snarled.

“Aw… little kiddies playing family with the daughter of a murderer.” Shay said, but Yang turned and stared at Shay.

“Will you just stop it?” Yang demanded, tightening her clenched fist, staring straight into his eyes with anger. Shay chuckled at Yang, her eyes were not red with anger or even like her mother’s, yet she had the same glare, the same fire in her heart.

But Shay did not back down from her, he stared at her, right into her eyes, stepping forward as she threatened him to back down. “Wow… you really think you’re something special, don’t ya? I saw your face when we swatted those damn spiders… you probably tell yourself every single night that you’re a strong Huntress. But you’re just a scared little girl, the second real blood spills… you freeze.” Shay growled. “I bet you were a snivelling wreck when you lost that arm.”

Their blood chilled, and not from the cold snow, but from those words. Shay did not flinch when Yang stared into his eyes, then she walked towards him, and she pushed her head against his, so hard it forced him back. “You… take… that… back.” Yang snarled, as her eyes shone red, she was seconds away from igniting her hair and going full berserk on the Bandit Highwayman. But Shay never did know when to back down, that was never in his nature, he always liked a fight, until he felt a hand grab him.

“Enough!” Cinder yelled, she appeared out of nowhere as she threw his body across the snow. He slid and stopped by the rocks, groaning as the Fall Maiden stood beside Yang. None were more surprised than Yang, of all the people to defend her it was the one who caused the Fall of Beacon in the first place. The one that tried to kill Pyrrha, the one that helped kill Penny Polendina.

Yeah, Cinder Fall was the last person she expected to stand by her side.

“Last thing we need is all this arguing, Grimm could be anywhere in these mountains. And the Grimm that lurk out here are freaking dangerous. So cut it out, or I’ll put you down. You hear?” Cinder yelled, her eye flared with flames.

Shay glared at Cinder, and his hand was close to his holster… and Cinder knew that, he was a loose cannon, if she had it her way she would have killed him a long time ago. But Raven was the leader, and she knew he could lead the rest of their Grunts into combat better than either of them could. Shay snarled and he refused to draw his Revolver, standing up and he cracked his neck, sighing. “Fine… have it your way, Fall.” Shay growled as he stood tall. “But ask yourself this, Xiao Long… when the time comes, and you have to choose between your life and someone else’s… who will you choose?” He asked, walking away from Yang.

Yang calmed herself down, the glowing red energy left her irises, then she looked at Cinder. “Hey… uh… thanks?” Yang felt conflicted on whether she should even say that to Cinder. The Fall Maiden did not care that much about it, she just walked away from her.

“Sure, whatever.” Cinder shrugged. “Next time though? Don’t try and get in a fight with him, you might have a good semblance and aura, but don’t underestimate him. There’s a reason he’s survived this long.”

“How’s that?” Yang asked, Cinder stopped and looked at her.

“He fights dirty.” She told her, looking at one of the Bandits.

He was a fighter, that much was clear, but there was a deep scar around his cheek, one that was seriously bad. As she stared at the man, Oscar approached her. “Who’s that?” Yang asked.

“His name’s Traynor. He’s been with the Branwen tribe since he was six years old, loyal to Raven to the bone.” Oscar answered, Ruby and Eryka walked over to Oscar, and they observed the man. He walked beside Vernal with his overcoat on, he had a prosthetic leg as well.

“What did Shay do to him?” Ruby inquired, Oscar looked at the three girls and he told them.

“They were playing cards with that guy over there, Flynt.” Oscar told, they looked over and saw the Bandit. He was bigger and older than Traynor, from the name they expected someone like Flynt Coal, but he was very different. He was white with ginger hair and many scars on his face. “He’s Shay’s right-hand man, they joined together from the last Bandit Tribe they were with.” Oscar told them all. “Shay wanted to make things interesting. They played the next one and he lost, Traynor slid his Liens over to him. But that was not what he meant. Flynt grabbed him, held him down, and he carved his face up with that knife. Never hard a man scream so loud before.”

It made Ruby feel sick to imagine how that would have felt, especially after knowing how it felt to be stabbed by a really sharp knife. It was the most agonizing feeling she had ever known. “W-Why?” Ruby stammered.

“Because he wanted to make it interesting. Traynor was always a _pretty boy_ , lucky with the girls all the time. But nobody feared him, never had a reason to. Shay had a feeling that this needed to change. So he changed it for him, instead of waiting for it happen in a fight.” Oscar explained. Yang chuckled.

“Surprised he hasn’t done it to you yet, baby face.” She scoffed, and Oscar scoffed right back.

“He did try. They both had broken ribs after that.” Oscar answered, he walked ahead of them and it made Eryka chuckle.

“Damn, he’s a pip-squeak but I wouldn’t piss him off.” Eryka stated.

As they followed the path, they heard the voice of Raven Branwen call out. “Hold up!” She yelled, they all slowed down as they approached the incoming bridge. It was damaged but still standing. They looked around and they noticed it was an extremely old bridge, one that was older than any they had seen. Except for the Ruins in the Emerald Forest, if anything it looked like they were in the era.

Same architecture.

It was… intriguing.

Ren stood before the bridge with Qrow stood next to him, he crouched down at this echo of the past, ardent with curiosity. “What is it?” Ruby asked as she walked over to Raven, she stared at the other side of the bridge, and then they saw it. This was the last thing they ever expected…

… there was some kind of old Castle. Most of it was gone, collapsed down the side of the mountain, snow claimed half of the remains that were still intact, the rest was mainly the Tower. Stone and concrete, all of it was destroyed, either from time or whatever attacked it. “What is this place?” Ruby asked with amazement.

“It’s an old Nikialos Fortress from the Great War. Anima was their old holding grounds, against the Mistraalians.” Qrow answered as he walked over to them.

“Nikialos?” Ruby asked.

“Nikos.” Nora clarified as she walked over to them. “Pyrrha told us once about the history of her family, how far back her bloodline goes. The Nikos Spartans that still exist now? They existed thousands of years ago too. They fought against the Mistraalians once, three hundred of their Spartans battled against every single Mistraalian Warrior. They managed to hold off thousands of foes, Mistraalian and Grimm.”

“Why?” Yang asked.

“Because the Mistraalians were trying to force them into their way of life, taking their land. And if they didn’t, they would wipe them out.” Ren explained.

“If they didn’t end up fighting together, when the Vacuo Mongrels started to invade their land. I read about the Mongrels, they were nearly unstoppable. They threw their numbers and strength against them, and if it weren’t for the Spartans and their Phalanx strategy, Anima would be a part of Vacuo’s Kingdom now.” Nora explained, it amazed them… the Great War was one of those eras of history that utterly amazed them. Everyone simply imagined it was mindless war.

It nearly ended the world from how many lives were lost.

So everyone agreed on a way to live together, in a way that differences meant nothing, because in the end they were all the same. They named themselves after colours, it was a small and simple idea.

But it worked.

And after that? The only things that divided the world, were Humanity, the Faunus… and the Grimm.

In the grand scheme of things, this time of peace that they were enjoying had only existed for eighty years… eighty years after the thousand years that the Great War waged. During that terrible Millennia of War, the Kingdoms… they were more like Warzones of their own. There was a reason for the name “The Great War”.

In Vale? There were the many Armies for Hire, taken up by the powerful who battled over control of the entire Kingdom. In Vacuo there were the Clansmen, Mongrels who fought relentlessly. Atlas was the most surprising when compared to how they were now, the Ice Dwellers were once savages nicknamed the Celts. They were Pagans who ruled the seas and believed that drinking the blood of fallen enemies would absorb their semblances, to make them unstoppable. It was a false assumption, but still a powerful one.

And finally there were the Spartans of Nikialos and the Mistraalian Immortals, who fought for many centuries over their land.

Ruby was the first one to walk across the bridge, that even now was still sturdy. She felt the wind howl beneath her, looking down the holes in the stone and seeing the tumbling rocks buried in the thick snow. Who knows what Grimm lurked down there in the blizzards that seemed to endlessly rage. Everyone followed her, Raven and Qrow stood by her shoulders, whilst Valravn kept those creepy eyes on her every single move. Ruby looked at him but he did not break glance, she could feel his distrust of her as he stared at her silver eyes. She looked ahead and walked towards the Old Fortress.

She pressed her hand against the old stone, and she softly chuckled. “Wow… to think that Pyrrha’s Ancestors fought here.” Ruby admired the history that was held here, she wiped the snow from the stone to see there was a plaque inside, and inscribed were the words that Jaune remembered so well.

_Infinite in Distance and Unbound by Death_

Their symbol was exactly the same as well. Qrow looked at the structure as well, and Ruby looked at her Uncle curiously. “Did you know that Pyrrha was a descendant of them?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, it was why Oz chose her to be the Fall Maiden… before Cinder changed that.” Qrow revealed, she gasped and her eyes widened.

“Really?” She asked.

“The factors Ozpin made to trust the Maidens we chose depended on a few things, and the main one was who they were. The Spartans of Nikos were renowned for their honourable personalities. Kindest people in the whole world, and Pyrrha definitely fitted into that category.” Qrow chuckled, since he always found it quite sweet how she was almost too polite for her own good.

“Yeah… I remember when I first met Pyrrha, I felt like I was too small to talk to her. But she was… just happy I said hello.” Ruby chuckled. She swallowed her guilt down, whenever she thought of the friends she went behind the backs of, it hurt quite a lot.

“I wish she was with us.” Ruby sighed, and Qrow smiled as he gently squeezed her shoulder to ease her guilt.

“It’s alright, kiddo. You made your choice and they made theirs.” Qrow shrugged his shoulders, but it was not even to do with the choice itself that hurt.

“It’s not that… it’s the fact we had to go behind their backs. I don’t know if we can ever come back from this.” Ruby sighed, pushing her bangs of hair away from her eyes. She looked up at the snow as it blew in the air, touching some of the flakes as they danced through the air. A smile graced her face as she touched them, following them. Qrow followed her as well, and his sister smiled as she watched Summer’s daughter admire the beauty of the world. Cinder stood beside Vernal and she watched her as well, she could not understand how a girl could be so optimistic… even after everything she has seen.

As Ruby followed the snowflake, she turned to the ruins.

A massive black hand erupted from the rubble and slammed down into the ground in front of her, she screamed with shock as the Creature of Grimm rose from the burial site. Huge chunks of rock fell from its wide back, it had armour made from rock across its back and arms as well. It looked like an ape but unlike a Beringel, it was nearly four times the size, towering above Ruby. Long curved tusks, like an Elephant’s, protruded from its mouth, and it reached down to a huge chunk of metal that stuck from the ground, ripping a huge club made of stone from the ruins. The beast pummelled through the collapsed wall and roared at Ruby again, this time she drew Crescent Rose.

“Troll!” Vernal called out, the Troll walked across the snow towards the Branwen Tribe, and it suddenly slammed its massive club down into the ground, bellowing at the same time. The call echoed through the mountains, and Ren turned with widened eyes. It was like an ambush, because more Grimm were coming, barraging through the Mountainous Wilderness… and tearing the thick layer of clouds.

“More Grimm!” Ren called out, and the ones in the sky were not to be trifled with.

“Sphinx and Manticores too!” Nora yelled, the Sphinx blasted a ball of fire down towards them, causing the Tribe to scatter, dropping their backpacks into the snow. The Troll growled as it walked towards one of the Grunts. He screamed in terror as he reached for his gun, only for the massive beast to grab him with its over hand. It lifted him off the floor with ease, before forcefully biting down onto his head and torso, twisting him like a piece of jerky, ripping him in half. Blood sprayed from his severed corpse, and it threw his lower half down the face of the mountain.

“No!” Ruby yelled with horror, before she shot forward and she slashed her trusty Scythe across the face of the beast. It was not about to go down in one hit though, it barely even reacted to the strike. It stumbled back but as Ruby went for a second attack, it caught her and slammed her down to the ground, creating a deafening bellow. Ruby bounced across the ground and she groaned, slowly getting back up, until suddenly Cinder blasted straight into the pot belly of the Troll. It staggered back and roared with anger as the Fall Maiden pushed it away from Ruby, she formed her Obsidian Axe and swung it across the stomach, slicing into it, but it still was not bothered by it. This was going to be one tough Grimm to take down.

Ruby knew that the Mistraalian Mountains were a treacherous place… but she had no idea that there was a Grimm hiding there the whole time. No wonder very few people dared to live out here in the wilderness.

Shay drew his duel Revolvers and he smirked, walking towards the charging Mountain Beowulves, which had much thicker fur and hide, but he could still take them on. He fired them one at a time, rolling aside from the attacking slash from one of the Beowulves. The claws cut through the snow in the air, and he kicked one of them in the side of the head. The Creature of Grimm barked in pain from the attack and went to lunge for him, only for him to blow its brains of smoke across the ground with his firearm. He holstered the other and he drew his big combat knife, and he rushed the second. He rolled across its back and slit its throat open in the process, it howled in agony as the thick black smog poured from its glowing red innards. As he landed he fired his pistol and nailed the third Beowulf in the head. The creature fell into the snow, and he grinned, spinning the Revolver through his fingers like a Cowboy before holstering it with style.

One of the Manticores came diving down with fire crackling inside of its jaws, until Nora suddenly threw Stormur Skeggox with all her might, the head of the axe stabbed straight into its arm, and she opened her hand, the glove had magnets inside that called her axe right back to her. The Manticore was pulled with the axe and as she caught it, she threw the Manticore across the ground, crashing through the rocks that protruded through thick snow. She winked at it as she spun her axe through her fingers and she rushed the huge beast, swinging it upwards, cutting clean through the thick black hide and fur, badly wounding the animal. It roared in pain as it staggered back, then she through the axe up in the air and she pulled her scroll from her pocket, and took a selfie as the axe landed in its skull. She stuck out her tongue and winked as she snapped the picture.

“Yep… still got it.” Nora giggled, ripping the axe from the head of the dying Grimm.

Her triumph did not last, because the Grimm just kept coming. It was like they ran with the storm, and they were bigger than the average Grimm that they faced back in Vale. The Sphinx was circling the sky but soon it was going to land and make its attack on them. Raven swung her Odachi – named Omen – with great force and speed, slicing through the heads of three Beowulves, killing them instantly, toppling their bodies. She turned and pointed to Traynor. “Get the Non-Combatants somewhere safe!” Raven commanded, she turned and gasped, as a large Ursa suddenly rose up from the storm. The snow covered its thick tufts of fur, roaring at her. It was similar to the average Ursa, however this was a larger version, with a snub nose.

Also known as Cave Ursae.

Raven spun her sword through her fingers and sheathed it into her scabbard of many blades, drawing the Fire Dust blade, fire ignited across the blade and she leapt towards the creature. She cut across its side, causing the monster to roar in pain as the fire ignited across the fur, burning the flesh away as it crashed down. It turned and jumped at her, crashing through the soil, tearing the ground up with its huge claws. It swung many times but she blocked the blows, then drove her sword straight through its chest. The creature roared in pain, then she turned swiftly and cut it clean in half. The top half of the Ursa was thrown across the ground, sliding across the ice.

Yang shot in behind her, as she slammed her cybernetic fist into the jaw of the Beringel that jumped at her father from behind. The muscle rippled across its facial features, cracking the bone armour and sending it crashing through the rocks and snow. It dragged its big hand into the ground to steady itself, pounding its chest with full aggression.

Mother and Daughter stood back to back as the Grimm came towards them, barrelling through the snow in packs.

Eryka was moving the cleanest in comparison to the rest of the gang, sprinting across the ledges to keep a good distance from the Creeps that pursued her. They roared with anger as they chased her, snapping their jaws violently at her heels, until she jumped off the ledge and turned. She aimed her bow, and launched three arrows into the chest of the Alpha Creep, which then exploded, killing the other two in the process.

Her Bow was named Constantine Damascus.

She transformed the bow into Shotgun Form, and she fired it straight into the chest of a Beowulf that erupted from the ground towards her, pumping it and firing it once again. The shotgun shell shrapnel was in fact the same metal used in her arrowheads. Another Cave Ursa bellowed at her as it stood on its hind legs, she turned and she flicked her blue hair from her eyes. The shotgun opened back up into her bow and she drew it, and the Ursa charged through the snow. It jumped straight at her, but she fired an arrow into its leg, one that was very different to the others, for it shot a cable out the other side and into the ground. The Ursa was trapped, unable to move as Eryka whistled to Dulcis. The Altum Eagle soar past her head, and she aimed Constantine Damascus at the beast, alongside the other Grimm that came charging towards her from behind the beast.

She focused her senses, and she connected herself with her Eagle once more, and fired the Fire Arrow. Dulcis caught it in his talons, and his aura suddenly ignited into her beautiful Burning Phoenix. It melted the snow beneath his wings, and burned the Grimm to ash as they stood there. Dulcis banked across the sky and returned back to his loving owner, returning the arrow to her.

She gently kissed his cheek as he landed on her shoulder. “That’s my boy.” She whispered.

Nora continued to wage Nordic Hell upon the Grimm, channelling the lightning from the pack she had inside of her axe, powering herself up against them. Her semblance crackled pink electricity across her body, she jumped up in the air and the sky darkened, she yelled and slammed the axe down into the snow with great force. The rocks flew up into the air, alongside the Beowulves that she attacked, then Ren suddenly shot towards those Grimm. He slashed through them with Stormflower, cutting them away from existence, before sliding across the snow. He reloaded both his pistols and he fired them up at the Manticores that flew towards them, blasting mortars of fire towards them. One of them exploded close to Ren, throwing the Huntsman across the ground. He jumped up and threw Stormflower towards the attacking Manticore, cutting the wing clean off, causing the monster to crash into the ground with great force. As it smashed through the rocks, it came straight into the axe of Stormur Skeggox, killed immediately.

Nora pushed it from her weapon, and she stood beside her loving boyfriend, turning to see the rest of the Branwen Tribe holding their own. Shay was laughing maniacally, firing both Revolvers repeatedly, nailing the Grimm with every single shot he made. Oscar bellowed as he launched one of his powerful chained hammers forward, slamming into the chest of the attacking Sabyr. The large Feline Grim with huge canines grunted, thrown back from the attack, killed instantly as well. He turned and he brought the extended chain over his head, and the hammer splattered the skull of the other Sabyr. He retracted the long chains and the hammers returned to his hands, looking around as he saw the ground move as something tunnelled towards them.

More Creeps erupted from the ground, roaring at them as the Bipedal creatures charged forward, and Vernal aimed her dual Fire and Wind Firearms at them. She fired both beams of hot energy into the body of a Creep, before she leapt forward and spun through the air like a buzz saw. Vernal cut straight through the second Creep and slid across the ground, throwing her weapon towards the Beringel that just punched Yang into the ground. The blade sliced across the cheek, giving Yang the chance to fight back. She jumped and punched up the jaw of the Beringel, the huge Gorilla Grimm staggered away from her.

It roared and charged on all fours, punching at her again, but this time she swung back, and punched into its knuckles. The impact snapped the bone, causing the forearm bone to protrude through its thick hide. The Beringel roared in agony, then Yang shot straight through it. She panted then grit her teeth, firing multiple miniature missiles towards the attacking Sabyrs. The Tigers roared in pain as they exploded, but one of them jumped straight for Yang, and bit down onto her metal arm, shaking her like a chew toy, until Qrow suddenly ran Harbinger straight through its head, just stopping at Yang’s face. He pulled the disintegrating Sabyr’s body off her body. “Thanks, Uncle Qrow.” She thanked, looking around at the constant battling Grimm. “Where the hell did they come from?”

“Ambush… you can thank that Troll for that.” Qrow mentioned, glancing to the huge Grimm that both Cinder and Ruby were fighting at the same time.

Cinder threw her axe straight into the chest of the Troll and it recoiled from the attack, but that did nothing to kill or deter the beast. It snarled and just walked towards her, and slammed the huge club down at her, until red petals grabbed onto Cinder. They both rolled across the ground. Cinder coughed, wheezing as she got up, shaking the feeling off as she formed two more axes, and nodded at Ruby. The Silver Eyed Girl shot forward in a blur of red petals, and she slashed through the hand of the Troll. It roared in pain as she made her attack, then Cinder did the same. She blasted up into the air and slashed her Axe across the face of the titan. It staggered away from them and it roared up to the Sphinx.

Ruby fired her Rifle over and over again at the thick hide of the Troll, it used the back of its hand to block her bullets, until it suddenly pounded the ground with its club, and as Ruby avoided the attack, the old Grimm learned, and it dragged the mace across the ground as well, hitting Ruby with it. She cried out in pain, being thrown across the ground in the process, then Cinder shot at it, and slammed her axe into the beast’s chest. The Troll grunted and growled, like a child that was getting annoyed with something. It grabbed the little woman and threw her away, but she kept on coming.

Cinder went for the head, until the Troll suddenly started to crack and flames erupted from within its body. The Troll howled at her and swatted her like a fly, smashing her through one of the frozen boulders. The Troll arched its back and hollered to the sky as it punched its chest with its fist, dragging the club through the snow behind it as it moved closer to Cinder, swinging the weapon down towards her, until Ruby suddenly zoomed overhead, and hooked Crescent Rose against the head of the club, saving the Fall Maiden’s life. Cinder took the chance and she helped Ruby.

But they had to be careful, the Troll was going berserk, meaning it was going to be much harder to bring down, and far more aggressive.

They continued to fight the monster, whilst everyone else faced the Grimm that just kept coming. Qrow flew through the air with his sister, both in corvid form as they dove down towards the massive King Taijitu that slithered through the mountains. It lunged up towards them and they both transformed back into their Human Forms, spinning through the air as they both slice the heads of the massive snake in half. The Serpent’s roars faded as it slammed to the ground, killed instantly. Both Branwens landed and they spun their weapons through their fingers, deflecting the quills that shot at them. There were new Grimm on the horizon.

Pouncers.

These things were bizarre, they were like dogs with long tails with razor sharp quills like a Porcupine attached, and by the name – they pounced onto people and ripped them to shreds. One of the Grunts grunted as a quill punctured through his shoulder, dropping him down to the ground, his claret smothered the snow beneath him. The Pouncer jumped at him with a terrible bark, but Eryka kicked the creature in the side of the head, knocking it down to the ground with great force. She aimed Constantine Damascus at its head as it roared at her, blowing it to pieces with the shrapnel from her arrowheads. The Grimm faded into thin air, and she turned swiftly, gasping as another came jumping at her.

It tackled her to the ground, snapping its massive jaws at her face over and over again, growling and drooling over her cheek. Oscar launched his hammer towards the beast, knocking it off her and it tumbled into the snow, getting back up and sprinting back towards them. She slammed Constantine Damascus across its face, making the creature lose its balance, and Vernal jumped over its head, beheading it with the powerful lasers.

Shay spun his Revolvers round and he fired them repeatedly at the third and final Pouncer, hitting it straight through the skull six times before it finally fell. Shay exhaled, but none of them had time to relax, that huge Troll was still standing and there was the Sphinx, that was coming straight for them with a deafening screech, blasting fire through the mountains as it came straight for them. The fire melted the snow and blew the rocks apart, splitting the others up. Qrow tumbled across the ground, and the huge Sphinx landed in the middle, roaring as it stared at him, building the flames within its jaws as it snarled. Raven went to attack it from behind, only for the snake-headed tail to lunge at her, knocking her over.

The Sphinx went for Qrow, until suddenly a Murder of Crows came flying towards it, and from the swarm came Valravn. He held both his Scythes back and he snarled as the whispers echoed around them.

“VALRAAAAVN!”

He slashed them straight through the thick feathery hide of the Sphinx, causing it to roar in immense pain as he soared past it. He transformed back into the Murder of Crows, banking around the giant, and that was Qrow’s chance. He grabbed Harbinger and he fired the shotgun into the side of its head as it watched Valravn flying around it.

On the other side of the fight though, Cinder and Ruby continued to wage war against the Troll. Cinder yelled with rage as she slammed her fist into the side of its skull so hard it staggered back and crashed through the millennia old Nikialos tower, shattering it and causing it to come tumbling down the hill. Huge chunks of rock and ancient concrete slid and bounced down the mountain into the forestry below. The Troll growled but Cinder punched her burning fist across the jaw of the creature again, but then it snapped its jaws at her, so hard the muscle rippled through its body, then it reached down to the collapsed tower and grabbed part of it, smashing it down where she was flying, only for her to manoeuvre out of the way.

The Troll charged forward, the ground shook with every step the huge Grimm made, but it went straight for Ruby, who blasted towards it as it swung its massive fist at her. She yelled, slashing her Scythe clean through the middle of its fist, and running it right through the whole forearm. The Troll howled in agony as it felt the arm come apart, staggering forward. Ruby landed behind it and she shot at it again, firing explosive tipped bullets into the rocks that fused to its spine, blowing them apart. The Troll grunted in pain and turned with the club, bringing it down towards her head.

Until suddenly Cinder flew it and she slammed her Obsidian Axe into the open mouth of the Troll, pulling it across the snow, screaming with strain as she hauled the titan across the ground. The axe dug into the mouth and it choked. As she hovered next to the Troll, she blasted down to the ground with all her might, dragging the beast to the ground as well, digging the axe deeper into its open jaws. Black blood poured from the gruesome wound, Cinder ripped the axe from its face and it roared at her, reaching for her, but she took her Obsidian axe and roared once more, burying the blade deeper inside of its mouth, killing it at long last.

The jaw slacked, hung from sinew, before the body crumbled away into smoke, and Cinder wiped the sweat from her brow, turning to Ruby. “You’ve improved.” Cinder commented, and Ruby shrugged.

“I try my best.” Ruby shrugged, which made Cinder chuckle.

_Did… did we just joke with each other?_

The Sphinx was the last of the Ambushers to kill, and it was not about to go down without a fight, its massive wings extended and it roared at them all, breathing a cloud of fire down upon them. Oscar rolled away from the pool of flames that formed where he was stood, and he launched one of the hammers into the side of its head. It clanged and the creature recoiled back from the blunt force. It swung its long serpentine tail round and smacked Oscar across the battlefield, smashing him through the ancient barricades set up by the Spartans centuries ago. He rolled through the snow with a groan, and Raven helped him back up.

“How are we gonna kill this thing?” He asked her with concern.

“Together, now come on!” Raven yelled, she opened a portal and she jumped through it, and dove down towards the Sphinx from above, and she slashed her burning blade through one of the wings. The wing severed, followed by a deafening shriek of agony from the beast, and Yang fired herself towards the monster and punched it across the jaw. It grunted in pain and she landed on the other side. She remembered how she and Blake worked together to keep this thing down, to keep it in position so then the heavy hitters could annihilate it.

“Oscar! Your Hammer Chain Thingy!” She yelled.

“It’s called _Cortex Gemini_!” Oscar yelled back.

“Yeah, whatever! Throw the hammer, we can use the chain to hold it down!” Yang yelled, and he nodded his head, so he launched the hammer over the creature, and Yang punched it downwards, causing it to wrap around its torso. The Sphinx looked at them with confusion, then Yang caught the Hammer, and pulled with all her strength, Oscar did the same. The Sphinx could not move, this lead to the beast getting even angrier.

It turned and saw the Murder of Crows rushing towards it again, and Valravn suddenly erupted through them.

“VALRAVN!” The Whispers of Valravn yelled as he shot past its eyes, slicing them out in one sudden attack. The Sphinx cried out in immense agony as the skilled and wise old Branwen flew past, the caws of many crows echoed around him. On the other side of the fight, Shay and Vernal fired their dual weapons up at the monster, Flynt and Traynor did the same with their guns, firing everything they had.

Ren and Nora battled against the creature’s long snake-like tail, and Nora channelled her electrical power into the head of the axe, and just as the snake lunged forward, she blasted the beam of pink light into its mouth. The energy burned it from the inside, causing its body to burst and explode like a balloon, leaving the rear completely defenceless. Ruby looked at her Uncle and she nodded and he nodded back, they both blasted forward and spun through the air, and their scythes cut clean through the neck of the beast.

The monster collapsed to the ground with a dying scream, crashing down with great force. Oscar retracted his hammer and gave Yang a fist-bump, whilst the rest of the Tribe sighed with relief. Raven stood by the pool of blood where the Troll viciously devoured one of her people. She sighed and walked away, this was always expected… but she never liked people dying on her watch. “Is everyone okay?” Raven asked as she sheathed Omen.

“Exhausted…” Eryka sighed as she rubbed her aching knees from all that running around.

“Been a while since we had a good fight against the Grimm though.” Shay replied, popping his shoulder.

“Not for us it wasn’t.” Vernal reminded, since they were the ones that went to the Hearthstone Chateau in he first place.

“Oh yeah, that was you guys, wasn’t it.” He remembered, slicking his hair back again, walking back to the others to refill on his ammunition.

Ruby walked over to Yang and her big sister gently ruffled her hair, then they both looked at Valravn who landed. “I didn’t know he was like Qrow and Raven… but he turned into a bunch of them.” Ruby commented as he stood there, holding a Crow on his hand as he stared off into the distance.

“I don’t trust him… he’s up to something.” Yang softly said to her sister.

“You don’t say?” Ruby scoffed, of everyone here? They trusted Shay more than Valravn, at least he was clearly a loose cannon and was dangerous.

But Valravn?

They never knew what to expect from him.

They all prepared to continue down the path, until another Grimm soared over head with small wings. They all groaned, wishing that this was all over. “Oh come on, another?” Nora groaned as she drew Stormur Skeggox again.

“What is it? Nevermore?” Cinder presumed, both Eryka and Yang stared at the strange thing that soared around the mountains. What was particularly odd about it, was the fact it sounded like a fighter jet and had vapour trails.

“Yeah… when was the last Grimm that had vapour trails?” Yang asked.

Eryka looked closer, and then she noticed something else… it was not a Grimm at all, it was a man with large metal wings and jetpack. “And… it’s a dude.” Yang realised too.

Then he started to bank round… towards them… at worrying speeds. “And he’s coming right at us.” Yang started to get more worried.

But Eryka was the one that was afraid…

… because she knew who this was.

“Oh… Shit…” Eryka gasped. Huge mechanical wings folded back in a falcon dive, a dark skinned hand outstretched. Charcoal grey eyes flared with bright red pupils, pure hatred and rage scrunched his features.

He slammed into Eryka at full speed, exploding rock around her body as they crashed into the mountain face. Her Aura broke on impact and she cried out, clutching the hand around her throat. The tips of his wings stabbed into the stone, curtains around them as he took a deep mechanical inhale.

His entire bottom jaw was mechanised, the flesh of his upper face and cheeks hanging slightly over the overlapping plates.

“WHERE’S THE SUMMIT’S MENTOR?!” He roared, bottom jaw of pistons and plates moving up and down as he yelled.

It was him.

The one that took Amber.

The one the people of the Summit’s Claim call…

… Icarus.

 

 


	26. Icarus

**Eryka**

Her mask shattered from the sudden attack by Icarus, aura broken in a bright blue flash and she grunted from the pain. “Where is the Summit’s Mentor?” Icarus bellowed at her, his dreads fell over his furious dark grey and red eyes. He snarled through that mechanical jaw that was fused to his face, scarring covered where his mouth once existed.

“Get off me Icarus!” Eryka yelled, slamming both her boots into his chest. He was launched away from her, until he thrusted towards her once again, and he grabbed her by the neck, and they both soared across the sky. Eryka yelled in anger, punching him again and again and again in the face. Her knuckles scratched against the metal plates in his jaw, splitting the skin and hot pain pulsated in the bone. She grit her teeth, as she felt the ground get closer and closer, until Icarus threw her down into the snow. The soft white ice shattered around her, covering her body, she groaned, looking up at Icarus as he dove down towards her.

Dulcis suddenly flew in and slashed his claws across his face, knocking the Assassin out of the sky. Icarus grunted, crashing straight through the trees, but he used the wings like a shield, wrapping them around his body and he bounced across the rocks. Until he suddenly splayed the long metal bladed feathers out, and drew two Khopeshes that had deep red electricity crackling along the curved blades.

The Dual Khopeshes were named Undying Hatred.

Eryka pushed herself back up and she aimed Constantine Damascus at him, the arrow trained on his head. “Just calm the hell down, man! There does not have to be a fight! We just cleared out the Grimm up here!” Eryka yelled at him, he growled and clenched his fist.

“Where is he? I have been hunting him for a very long time now! I know I am close!” Icarus yelled with intense anger in his voice, but Eryka was loyal to her old friend. She narrowed her eyes and she shook her head, scratching the snow off her cold cheek.

“I know what you intend to do to him, Icarus. What happened… he was a different man then!” She argued, he snarled as he stared at her. The mask hissed, and he ripped the two canisters from them, and he grabbed two more from the bandolier across his torso. They glowed red, and there was some form of liquified nutrients and water in there, sustenance to keep him alive without his jaw. He connected the cannister and he twisted it round, locking it in and the hissing stopped, pressurizing as they continued to feed him as usual.

His ragged metallic breaths halted, yet he still growled, and the red electricity – both fire and electricity combined – coursed across the blades of his Khopeshes. He removed them from within the wings of the Wingsuit, perfectly hidden away. “I will not ask again, Falconess. Where is he?”

“We’ve worked together before, Icarus. Is this really how you want our friendship to end?” Eryka questioned, keeping that arrow focused on her target.

“We fought for a common goal, that does not make us friends.” Icarus growled as he held the Khopeshes tight.

Eryka pouted. “Aw… you hurt me, Icarus.”

“Not yet.” He growled, until he suddenly shot forward, using his wings to bat the incoming arrow aside. The projectile shattered like glass against the metal wings, and he jumped up in the air, kicking Eryka in the jaw. She grunted, staggering back as he swung his wing round and slammed the metal feathers into her chest. She was thrown once again from the attack, and she crashed back in the snow, rolling through the thick dunes of ice. She coughed, spat blood from her mouth and split lip. She turned and saw him sprinting towards her, clashing his curved blades together.

Once, twice and thrice!

He roared with anger, his voice crackled as his organic and synthetic vocal chords fought constant. He brought both of them down, and she rolled out of the way, burning and crackling dust covered the blades. The snow melted instantly from the explosive attack, and as she stood up, the Bow Form of Constantine Damascus collapsed down into the Shotgun Form. She grit her teeth and fired, launching the arrowheads in clusters into his armour and aura protected body. He recoiled from each impact, a crackling orange aura covered his body, he grunted and kept getting pushed from her weapon. She stood tall again and held her weapon, allowing it to return back into its Bow Form.

She stood at the ready, and Icarus went for a second attack, the thrusters built into the pack of the Wingsuit bellowed as he threw himself at her again. This was his main strategy, attacking his enemies with overwhelming force. Something that Eryka Vasillias had come to learn very well, because his viciousness made him an adversary to fear. If he was not attacking you with his Dual Khopeshes, he would use the powerful wings to his advantage. And if that was not enough, he had skills and grenades as well… and his semblance.

Well she had no idea what that was, he never used it, never showed off his inner gift.

But he had one, that much was certain.

Icarus charged at her and he swung the Khopeshes at her again, yelling with rage as the curved blade slashed down at him. They clashed against the bow that she used to protect herself, sparks danced from the impacting blades. She held his Khopeshes, lodged over her Bow, teeth gritted, then she slammed her knee up into his stomach. He grunted in anger, then Eryka jumped and spun through the air, kicking him across the mechanical jaw. He yelled in pain, as depressurizing gasses shot out for a few moments from his mouth. He roared in agony, before he closed the opening with a switch.

Eryka took his distraction as her opportunity, she selected her explosive arrow and she shot it towards him. The arrow zoomed towards him, but he crossed his metal wings over, and it exploded around him. The fire coursed across the metal feathers, he growled as he stood there, pushed back, then Eryka cracked her neck. Her aura was thin, but because of that, it healed quick.

The cybernetic wings opened behind him and he blasted towards her, Eryka ran forward as well, only for her to slide underneath his attack, and she twisted round, firing another arrow at him, dealing some more damage to his aura. He grunted and slid across the slippery icy snow. The thrusters on his back belched fire, stopping his body from sliding any further, even driving the sharp tipped wings into the ground to anchor himself. He pulled them from the ground, and jumped upwards, the wings stretched outwards and he launched at her like a missile fired from a Fighter Jet.

He closed the wings and spun through the air, kicking Eryka in the side of the face. She grunted in pain from the impact, and then he spun round and slashed the Khopesh downwards at her. She yelled in pain, feeling it cut through her thin aura, so she rolled away from the second attack. The blade crashed into the snow and exploded the ground. She went on the offensive, pulling her bow up the throat of the Mercenary, hauling him back. He yelled in anger, choked by the bow as she pushed both her feet against his back. “Let’s! Just! Talk!” She strained, only for him to snarl, jumping up and crashing down to the ground, crushing her against the rocks.

Winded, she gasped for air, and Icarus grabbed her by her soft blue hair and he punched her down into the ground, over and over again. She swung her fist up at him, but he caught her wrist with flaming black and red eyes. He pushed her down against the ground, and the curved blade of his Khopesh hooked onto her throat. With her aura down, he could cut her head off right now. But he did not, he just stared down at her.

“Last chance, Vasillias. Where… is… he?” Icarus demanded with fury in his voice, but even in the face of death… she did not betray the man who saved her from her dark past. She just grit her teeth and she spat.

“Screw… you… Icarus.” She growled.

“Then I’m sorry. This is the end for you.” He growled, and he went to cut her head clean from her shoulders.

Until red petals suddenly tackled into him. Icarus grunted and Eryka gasped with relief, Ruby and Icarus crashed across the rocks, then Ruby kicked herself off his body, and landed on the snow. She spun Crescent Rose through her fingers and stood in her ever so familiar pose, hands held onto her huge Scythe, silver eyes focused on the Mercenary. He stood back up and stared at Ruby Rose, his eyes widened when he saw her Silver Eyes. “You… your eyes…” He snarled.

“Like ‘em?” She asked with a raised brow.

“I know people who would pay a lot for you.” He growled, and Ruby could not help but wonder if he meant either the Vasillias Cartel… or whoever was responsible for the Battle of Beacon.

_Salem…_

“Well too bad, buddy. You’re not getting them.” She commented, and Icarus turned around as he saw the rest of the rogues jumping down to help their friend. Yang landed and she pumped her Gauntlets, ready to battle. Nora dropped from the sky with pink lightning coursing through her body and Stormur Skeggox. And finally, Ren slid down the face of the cliff with Stormflower aimed at him.

“You’re outnumbered buddy, just give it up.” Yang threatened, but Icarus chuckled.

“No… now it gets interesting.” Icarus replied, the wings suddenly extended with razor sharp feathers and he held the Khopeshes in a fully offensive stance, ready to battle against all four of them at once. Eryka waited for her moment, her body needed to recover, she was good in a fight but her thin aura made her more of a liability than a strength. Ruby shot towards Icarus and she swung Crescent Rose at him with a yell, slashing across his Aura, only for him to hook onto her blade and bring it down to the ground. He pulled her forward and swung his leg round, and knocked her down to the ground.

He slammed the Khopesh down towards her face, but Nora blasted an almighty beam of pink electrical energy at him, and he was thrown back from the attack, before he used his metal wings to block the beam. He gritted his teeth with anger, walking towards Nora who kept the barrage going. He snarled and he got closer and closer, until Nora stopped and she swung her axe straight at him. He ducked under the attack and hooked her neck with the Khopesh, slamming her to the ground. But Nora kicked him up the jaw and knocked him towards Yang, who pounded her fist across his face and she ducked under his wing that lunged at her. The sharp feathers would have impaled her if not for her powerful aura.

She jumped up and punched him in the face with both fists, rolling past him, until he threw the Khopesh at her. She gasped and it hooked onto her neck, stabbing against the wall, holding her there. “Guys!” She yelled, restrained by Icarus’ Khopesh. He launched himself at her and kicked with both his feet, so hard that the stone wall cracked and shattered like glass. She fell to one knee, and Icarus caught the falling Khopesh, and swung it across her chest. Yang grunted, thrown up into the air, then he flew up towards her and he punched her in the face, over and over, before he grabbed her, and dove down with his wings, smashing her into the stones.

Yang groaned in pain. His aggressive attacks made him a very lethal adversary indeed, because no matter how many blows they made towards him, he could counter with even more attacks. But Yang’s eyes flared red with rage, she was not unleashing her final card, but she needed a bit of a boost. She jumped up and punched Icarus up his jaw, throwing the much larger man upwards, his wings opened up, and he hovered over them all. He then grabbed two grenades in each hand, and he threw them down towards them. The two pairs of highly explosive dust fell towards them and they gasped.

They all exploded and they were thrown across the snow, and Icarus landed amongst the flames, eyes seemed to burn red as he walked towards them. Ren stood up and he aimed Stormflower at him… but as soon as he did… Icarus froze. His eyes stared straight into Ren’s, and the Kuroyurian froze, and Icarus just… changed. Ren noticed his fists that held the weapons shook with rage, and his eye twitched. He did not say a word, but his constant anger exploded into something nuclear, something completely unbearable. He launched himself at Ren, and the skilled Huntsman rolled away from his attack.

Icarus slid across the ground before firing himself at Lie once more. He grabbed Ren by the throat, lifted him off the ground and slammed him against the floor, dragging him through snow, ice and rocks, before he twisted round and threw him into the mountain. Ren yelled in pain from the attack, until Icarus slammed his forearm against Lie’s throat, pinning him there. Icarus stared right into his eyes with anger, the metallic and unnatural voice spoke with viciousness. “The Sins of the Kuroyurian will be punished!” He yelled with anger, Ren stared at him with confusion.

“Huh?” He questioned, then he looked at the Lotus Flower on his sleeve, and then back at Icarus. “How did you know?” He strained.

“Your Village was not so innocent as you believed.” Icarus growled, his wing opened and he thrusted towards him, and went for the kill. The feathers stabbed into the stones, until Ruby slashed Crescent Rose across him and threw him from Ren. The Kuroyurian fell from the rocks, and Icarus stood tall, staring straight at Ruby with anger. He spun the Khopeshes through his fingers, before he leapt towards her. Ruby narrowed her silver eyes and she successfully blocked his attack, catching the curved blades onto her Scythe.

She yelled and spun, pulling them from his hands and throwing them down into the snow. She took that as her chance, and she swung Crescent Rose upwards, slashing up his armoured vest. He grunted, and she shot up with Petal Burst, and she spun, slashing repeatedly like a buzz saw cutting through wood. Icarus flew around them and he threw the grenades down towards them, so Ruby spun Crescent Rose through her fingers and she aimed down the sights, and fired multiple shots, nailing the grenades out the sky. Each one exploded in a fiery eruption as soon as the bullets made contact.

Icarus growled with anger as he banked around them, but Ruby smirked, the huge weapon expanded back into her trusty scythe. Yang stood back up, and she slammed her fists together, watching him circle them. “The hell is this dude’s problem?” Yang asked, and Eryka sighed as she recuperated.

“Long story, when we get to the Summit’s Claim… well you’ll…” Eryka paused as she stared at Ren’s knife. She shook it off and then she continued. “You’ll see.”

Icarus shot himself high up into the sky, breaking the sound barrier with a sonic boom, but then he suddenly started to dive down towards them, staring straight at Ruby, and the wings opened, and fired small missiles down towards them. “Crap! Scatter!” Ruby yelled, and they all dispersed to avoid the falling explosives. Ruby shot herself up at him in a burst of petals with Crescent Rose held back, yelling as the fire erupted behind her.

But she was not fast or strong enough to predict how hard Icarus would slam down into her. They both crashed into the ground with great force, blasting snow and rocks across the ground. Icarus and Ruby rolled across the ground, then he opened his gauntlets, and there were magnets built into them that called his Khopeshes back to him. Ruby stared at him, all this tech… and it really did concern her.

_How could he possibly have all this tech if he works by himself?_

_Unless… Unless he works for Salem?_

But she could not have any further time, because Icarus jumped and he slashed both his Khopeshes down at her with great force and speed, slicing into her aura and knocking her down again. Ruby darted aside, in a flash of rose petals, but he was not stopping. He threw one of the Khopeshes at her but she deflected it by spinning Crescent Rose incredibly quickly, but he called it back and he threw both of them, hooking them onto her Scythe. He called them back with the Gauntlets, ripping Crescent Rose from her hands.

It flew towards him, and he caught her weapon in his hands, Ruby gasped as Icarus jumped towards her and slammed the blade down to her neck, trapping her beneath it, the serrated edge was touching her jugular as she tried to breathe. She reached up and pushed her hand against his metal jaw to try and get him away, but he was forcing her own weapon down closer and closer.

“RUBY!” Yang screamed, she, Nora and Ren charged forward whilst Eryka sprinted round him, firing Constantine Damascus in Shotgun Form repeatedly. Icarus growled and he stepped away from Ruby, calling his Khopeshes back to his hands, and he spun them through his fingers, laughing sinisterly as he deflected their attacks, stopping Ren from even getting close and hooking the blade of Stormur Skeggox. He twisted Nora’s arm and he kicked her in the chest, knocking her away, before he turned and threw his Khopesh at Yang.

Yang caught it and she threw it right back, and the blade crashed into his chest, causing him to recoil, and Yang charged forward. Ren sprinted as well and Yang threw a hard punch at Icarus and got him across his mutilated face. He staggered back from the punch but he slashed his metal wing across Yang, but she stood her ground and returned back with a second punch with her cybernetic arm to his chest. As Yang attacked, Ren jumped over Icarus’ head and fired both Stormflower Pistols at once, but as he arced over, Icarus held his second wing over his head, blocking the bullets from even touching him. He swung his Khopeshes and crossed them over as Eryka fired an explosive arrow towards his chest.

The Khopeshes caught the arrow and it exploded, throwing the weapons from his hands and pushing him back. Both Ren and Yang went for an attack, swinging their fists at him, but he caught their hands, and he kicked Yang in the face. Icarus slammed his head into Ren’s, before he grabbed his long black hair and yanked him down, grappling onto his whole arm, swinging him round and throwing him into one of the rocks. Ren gasped in pain from how hard he hit it, before turning to see an enraged Nora Valkyrie blast towards him.

She slammed Stormur Skeggox down at his feet, so hard the ground split open, and she swung it at his head, but he caught the blade with his armoured hand, he snarled through that mechanical jaw at her, his eyes flared at her, but she channelled her power into the weapon and she blasted powerful energy across his face. Icarus grunted, thrown back from her attack, before she transformed Stormur Skeggox down into its Grenade Launcher form, firing three grenades at him that exploded right in front of him.

The shockwave from the blast threw Icarus back and he drove his powerful robotic wings down into the ground to slow recoil. As he tore the ground open with his razor sharp wings, snow covered his body and he wiped the flakes from his shoulder. Nora channelled her Norse Power through her body, and she blasted towards him. “SMAAAAASH!” She yelled, it may not be Magnhild, but Stormur Skeggox could still deal some damage. The thrusters on the back of the axe could slam down the blade so hard that it would shatter the soil and rocks like glass. Nora pulled the axe from the ground, and he swung round and slashed the axe across his aura and armour plating, sparks flew and she immediately swung it down at his head.

The axe slammed into the ground, and she channelled the pink lightning through the blade and caused the ground to erupt like a volcano. The ground exploded, then she threw her axe up at him, but before the blade of the axe could possibly dig into the turbine built into the wing, he used the other wing and knocked it out of the sky. The axe bounced off and stabbed into the side of the mountain. Icarus laughed sinisterly and he dove down towards her, and he called one of his Khopeshes back to him, and brought it down towards her. She bounced away from Icarus as he slammed the weapon down into the ground with great force.

Nora’s palm opened, and the powerful magnet charged up and called Stormur Skeggox back to her, like Thor with Mjolnir, it flew away from the face of the mountain. Rock and soil shattered alike as the blade was yanked from the powerful magnetic pull given to her new outfit. The hand landed in her hand, after slamming against Icarus’ shoulder, and the act of doing so gave Nora the perfect opening. She channelled Thor’s Might through her body, the pink light shone bright around her, and she spun it through her fingers, yelling and jumping high in the air. She brought it down with one hand, and it cut clean through his armour plating. The vest split in two, and as the charged axe impacted with the snow and rock, the ground exploded as if a grenade had gone off.

Icarus grunted, thrown back from the Valkyrie’s might, rolling across the ground. He growled, staring at Nora as she stood before him. Her eyes glowed bright pink and the forks of pink light rippled through her powerful muscles. “You’re stronger… than you look.” Icarus snarled, and Nora smirked.

“Not the first baddie to tell me that, and definitely not the last!” Nora promised, sprinting towards him.

“Overconfidence is the birth of defeat!” Icarus bellowed, as he suddenly launched two more grenades from his belt towards her. Nora gasped, and the grenades exploded against her chest, throwing her across the ground. Smoke and fire trailed from her body, and she slowly stood back up, coughing.

“Ow…” Nora groaned.

Icarus would smirk if he had a mouth, he spun his Khopeshes through his fingers, and he rushed towards Nora, only for Eryka to fire another arrow, but this one was charged with golden electricity. The arrow stabbed into the ground behind him, but the lightning shot out from the arrowhead, and it coursed into him and the suit. Icarus howled in pain and anger from the pain, as he felt his wingsuit and jaw malfunction from the voltage. He snarled as he stood there, then Eryka suddenly rushed him.

She jumped and wrapped her thin athletic legs around his neck, and she twisted round and slammed his head into the snow. Eryka slid across the snow, and he swiftly stood back up. He narrowed his grey and red eyes, he growled with so much anger in his heart, and she fired another arrow, but he charged her again, and with his wings he smashed her down to the ground, stabbing the ground where her head was until she moved. He slammed the bladed feathers down over and over again, hollering endlessly. But Eryka crawled away from the winged demon, and she rolled backwards back onto her feet, and she grabbed Constantine Damascus and whacked it across his jaw, before she jumped and kicked him in the face. He staggered back with a grunt.

“You know, Icarus? This is quite sad, I really thought you and I had a connection.” She jabbed with a grin on her face. Icarus snarled at her, and he took Undying Hatred and he slashed it straight at her face, but she ducked under it and then she tackled him to the ground. She pounded her fist into his face over and over again, beating the hell out of him, bloodying her knuckles… but only with her own blood with her aura down. Icarus kicked her in the chest, grabbed her by her blue hair and threw her into the ground. Eryka bounced and tumbled through the snow. She aimed Constantine Damascus and fired an arrow straight at him, but he cut it down with the Khopesh.

Icarus growled, and Eryka stared at his eyes, hers widened as she saw the grey around the red turn pale… and the red started to glow. Flicker almost, the veins in his face pushed against the skin and his skin turned purple. He let out a deafening bellow, and he launched himself at her, so fast and so hard. He slashed the Khopeshes into her… she screamed in agony, as the curved blade sliced straight through.

Two deep lacerations were made across her torso, and blood poured from the open wounds, drenching her clothes. Diagonal in shape, the blade nearly cut her throat open. She was very lucky that she did not die. She crashed into the dirt, blood soaked the snow, and she gasped in agony, crawling across the snow. Icarus growled, staring at her with those burning red eyes, and he walked towards her with her blood leaking from the blades.

_This is it… this is how I die…_

And it would have been, if Yang had not blasted into his side, but Icarus barely even moved. He was pushed back, and Yang punched up his jaw. Her punches did not seem to do much after what just happened to him. He swung Undying Hatred at Yang’s neck, but she stopped his arm with her metal arm, before she punched him in the gut, and jumped upwards, up his jaw yet again. The jaw was damaged, breaking one of the Nutrient Cannisters connected, and the jaw hissed. He howled in agony, as he fixed it with his hand. After he closed the leak, he twisted round and he grabbed her by the throat. She gasped felt his hand crush her throat.

She punched him over and over again in the head.

But she felt helpless, because his strength… came from his Semblance – called Blind Rage.

Icarus was not saying a word, he turned feral, almost primal with anger, and he could not even see. Everything and everyone that was around him was an enemy, a target to be slain. And nothing could convince him otherwise. He snarled savagely as he slowly crushed her throat, until Yang herself was left no choice. She let out her own scream, and her golden hair ignited like a slick of oil, and her eye flushed red. She slammed her fist into his face so hard it made him release her. He stumbled back, and she rushed forward, beating him with her powerful fists, firing Ember Celica with every single shot. He recoiled back from every single shot made, and during her bout, Ruby and Ren swiftly ran to Eryka’s side.

They both pressed their hands against her wounds, she held Ren’s arm and she pointed at Icarus’ wings. “Wait… for him… to take off. Take out… his wing.” Eryka winced, she gritted her teeth in pain as she bled. Ren looked at Nora and she nodded, and sprinted to Yang’s aid.

The Golden Brawler yelled with her own fury, but she was not blinded by it, she could see, and she could harness it. She punched him repeatedly, and he tumbled across the snow towards the cliff. Yang fired towards him, and she punched at him, but this time he caught her fist. He snarled, and he slammed his head into hers, knocking her back. He called Undying Hatred back to his hands and he slashed them across Yang’s chest, but she still had her aura to protect her from his weapons. The fire and electricity was lethal even against aura, dealing more damage than just the blades. Yang blocked his attacked, he jumped and twisted into a spin attack, cutting against the weapons she had on her wrists, cutting against the cybernetic arm.

But Yang punched straight through his defences, hitting him in the chest, causing him to tumble onto the ground. He rolled across the floor and snarled with anger, and he slashed at her with great speed. The tips of his weapons and even his feathers glowed bright red, just like his eyes. That was what happened when he used Blind Rage, it was like Yang’s semblance but had nothing to do with damage. His memory would go black just as his eyes, and kills everything his path with great speed.

But when one gives into feral rage?

That sacrifices strategy.

Just rage.

Yang dodged the incoming slashes, they were becoming predictable. And Nora channelled the lightning into her weapon. “Yang! We need him to take off!” Nora called, Yang looked at her through the fire in her hair, and she quickly deduced her plan. She smirked and nodded her head in agreement.

Yang turned and she fired herself at Icarus and punched across his face, knocking him back. She fired herself upwards and then dived downwards, punched down his face, knocking him to one knee. He fired up at her, which sent her airborne, and then he grabbed her heel and slammed her down into the ground. He yelled with anger and his wings opened. He jumped up and the turbines roared with fury, throwing more grenades down towards them. Yang gasped and she jumped out of the way just as they erupt into fire.

Yang stared at Nora. “NOW!”

Nora growled and she launched Stormur Skeggox towards Icarus’ turbine in his left wing. The blade stabbed into it and the powerful blades that kept him airborne shattered against the blade, and as Nora called it back, it ripped the whole wing apart. The thruster exploded into fire with a long trail of blood. Icarus howled with pain and anger as his Wingsuit started to make him spin out of control.

Icarus tried to fire the thrusters on his back, the afterburners roared like that of a Fighter Jet, and he shot towards the side of the mountain. The rock shattered like glass against his body, and so did the rest of the destroyed wing. Nora and Yang watched, the Valkyrie caught Stormur Skeggox as it returned to her palm. The Winged Assassin started to fall down the mountain, crashing against the spiked rocks in the snow, shattering the other wing and his aura broke.

He grunted and howled in pain as he plummeted, before he fell off the face of the mountain, vanishing into the trees and snow below.

Yang sighed with relief, because he was gone. Her hair extinguished and her eyes returned back to their natural lilac colours, she turned to Nora and she nodded, holstering Stormur Skeggox. They both gasped. “Eryka!” They called out, sprinting over to her.

They both slid across the snow beside their friend, she growled from the pain, but it was not something new to her. She sat upright slowly. “Careful, Eryka. Your wounds need to be tended to.” Ruby told her as they held their hands to the wounds. She coughed from the pain, but she punched the ground.

“It’s… it’s fine… nice work you two. Icarus isn’t an easy bastard to bring down.” Eryka said.

“Yeah, I could tell.” Yang said with a smile. They heard the sound of a portal open behind her. They turned and saw Raven and Qrow emerge from them. “Took you two long enough.” Yang growled with anger, Raven swiftly went to Eryka’s side, she could see the wounds she suffered from Icarus.

“What happened? Where’s that… Assassin?” Raven asked with concern.

“Down there somewhere. I think… he may be dead.” It hurt Nora to say that, none of them knew for certain if he was dead. But it scared Nora, she had never killed anyone before, and he could have been the first. She did what she had to do, she was left no other choice but to throw that axe. Otherwise he would have killed all of them… but that didn’t make it any easier.

“You did well.” Qrow assured as he gently squeezed Nora’s shoulder.

“Who was it?” Raven asked as she drew her Fire Dust Blade. She crouched down beside Eryka and she winced.

“Icarus… a Mercenary, a very dangerous one… cauterizing this probably won’t be a good idea. Get some gauze, it’ll do. The Summit’s Mentor should be able to patch me up pretty quick.” Eryka assured.

Qrow helped her up and Raven looked at the devastation from their battle against Icarus. “He must have been some kind of monster.” Raven commented with widened eyes.

“I think… he was the one who took Amber.” Ruby said with widened eyes, Raven looked at Summer’s Daughter with surprise.

“How do you know?” Raven asked.

“You said there were scorch marks, someone had to have flown in and out to take her without any of the guards catching her that night. It must have been him.” Ruby said and she nodded her head.

“But… he didn’t strike me as a Spider. Why would he leave a Spider’s Egg behind for us to have a lead?” Nora asked with confusion.

It was getting more interesting by the minute.

“I don’t know…” Raven said.

They left the battlefield through Raven’s Portal, but what they did not know was that at the very bottom of the mountain, where Icarus had fell…

… his hand erupted from the snow with a vicious growl. Still alive, bloodied and bruised…

… but alive.

 

**Ren**

It took them a while, taking turns carrying the injured Eryka Vasillias, but they arrived. They saw the Summit’s Claim, and it was beautiful. Ren’s eyes widened as he saw it, and Eryka looked at him with a smile. Qrow and Yang both helped her to the gates, and she looked up at it. They could hear the calls of the Altum Eagles, even with Dulcis circling the skies, they could hear others… much larger ones.

An Archer stood atop the gate with her bow on them. “Who are you? Why are you here?” She commanded.

“It’s Eryka… and… well this is the Branwen Tribe.” Eryka told the Archer.

“The Branwens? What the hell are they here for?” The Archer grilled.

“Can’t tell I’m a bit banged up, Sashaa? We’ll talk to him, he can sort this out. We’re not here for a fight.” Eryka assured, Sashaa looked at the Branwen Tribe. Sashaa was a small woman, dark skinned with white and purple blue hair. She had a small burn scar on her cheek and neck, alongside a pair of prosthetic legs, which were merely pieces of hardened plastic. She clearly did not trust them, but she sighed and opened the gate. The huge Wooden Gates opened… and they entered the Claim.

For Eryka it looked no different, but for everyone else?

It was beautiful.

The Summit’s Claim was a large clearing on a flat-topped mountain, a stunning view as well. It was as if the clouds parted, because they were beneath them. The sky was a sapphire blue, and the cold seemed to bite them. Eryka smiled as she saw it again. “Been a while since I came back here.”

“It’s… beautiful…” Nora gasped with wide eyes.

This place was ancient, at least one thousand years old, with wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to be customized for different occasions. People usually sat on cushions or otherwise on the floor, they could see them out there, it was so peaceful. Then, around the area in different places, where Yurts, newer than the Ancient Houses and Temples.

They walked through the main road where horses would march, at least when they had them. It was hard to breathe up here, but these people seemed to be used to it. The group continued down the cobblestone road, and Ruby looked at Eryka with curiosity. “How old is this place? The Architecture… it’s nearly as old as those castles.” She commented.

“It is. The Summit’s Mentor, he told me stories about this place. I’m sure he will do it when we meet him, but from what I can remember? This place was here during the Great War, and still stands now. One of the oldest settlements in the whole world. That at least still follows the _Old Ways_.” Eryka explained, they turned a corner, and there he stood.

The Summit’s Mentor.

He was far away but from here they could tell he was wise, he was clad in a black and green cloak where the black hood was pulled up. Eryka looked at Ren and she smiled, like she was about to explode. “I can’t wait to see this.” She whispered to Yang. Ruby’s sister glanced at Eryka with confusion.

They approached the Summit’s Mentor, and they waited.

“It’s been a while, Eryka. I heard Dulcis a mile off.” He greeted with a chuckle, stood before an ancient statue of a brave warrior with what looked like a Samurai Sword.

“Hey, old man. Got a certain someone you’re gonna wanna see.” She said, looking at Ren.

The Summit’s Mentor stood there, and a huge Altum Eagle landed before them, it was almost as tall as Ruby with wings that dwarfed her. Ruby’s Silver Eyes widened with awe at the giant animal, that made even Dulcis looked small. They looked at the Eagle’s eyes, and they shone gold, as they stared…

… at Lie Ren.

They heard The Summit’s Mentor gasp, and he slowly turned around. A long wispy beard of white blew in the wind, and he slowly pulled the hood down. He was blind, but he could see him through the eyes of the Altum Eagle, eyes covered with the Blindfold. He pulled the hood down with his cybernetic hand, it was old with rust and frost… but still worked after all this time. He held a wooden Cane as he looked at Ren.

It did not click for him… until Ren saw the symbol of Kuroyuri on the shoulder of his cloak. The Lotus.

Ren gasped… “Father?” He gasped.

And he gasped back. “Lie…” Li Ren gasped with total awe as he stared upon his son.

He walked towards Ren, and his son looked at Eryka. “How… How did you…”

“I only figured it out when I saw your knife. Only one man has a perfect replica of that knife. And he gave it to you.” Eryka stated as Lie Ren drew the knife, and so did Li… and they were exactly the same. Nora smiled with tears in her joyful eyes for her beloved husband.

It felt like it had been forever…

… but then Lie Ren ran into his father’s open arms, and they embraced with happiness. Finally reunited at long last.

They all smiled.

Li Ren survived the Nuckelavee…

… but how?

 

 


End file.
